WAP Gateways and Servers: Delivering Wireless Content

The wireless industry universally adopted the wireless access protocol (WAP) for managing content delivery to mobile devices such as cell phones and PDAs, leading to a boom in new products and services.

Taking advantage of WAP, a new universal protocol of the wireless industry, both hardware and software vendors are marketing a variety of solutions to meet the growing demands of wireless consumers and service providers.

WAP and WML

WAP is built on a wireless markup language (WML) that makes use of extensible markup language (XML) as it underlying technology. WAP is one of the first commercial successes of XML.

WML is designed to meet the constraints of a wide range of small, limited display, narrowband devices that communicate over potentially high latencies channels. Like HTML, WML uses uniform resource locators (URL) to reference sites and documents over the Internet. Unlike HTML, WML has a more structured format for data and textual tags. Organized in what the spec refers to as decks, each deck contains cards that define the mode of user interaction. WML also contains elements for control and event management.

The inner working of WML and WAP are very interesting. Watch for an article in the near future detailing WAP and WML.

WAP Gateways
There several approaches for providing WAP enabled content. A common approach is to use WAP gateways and WAP servers. WAP gateways allow content posted in HTML on the Internet to be reformatted and served as WAP over a wireless link.

HTML to WAP reformatting is handled with variety of techniques and methods. Common filtering-based on tag type, tag hierarchy, image filtering and other methods-distinguishes gateway solutions from each other.

The WAP gateway may incorporate or require a separate remote access server as part of the interface to the wireless carrier. Some gateways are sold as hardware-independent software solutions while others are packaged with hardware and sold as a system.

WAP Servers
WAP servers work in a similar manner to web servers, natively publishing WML content. Rather than serving HTML onto the Internet, WAP servers broadcast WML over wireless networks. Using WAP servers, data can be directly transferred to and from WAP-enabled appliances. For applications like secure m-commerce, directly generating WML is more efficient and secure using WAP servers.

WAP Servers and Gateways Displayed at Wireless 2000

The Jambala WAP Gateway and its applications enable any WAP-compliant wireless handset (cellular phone, PDA, etc.) to browse the web, handle email, perform personal information management, access corporate intranets, and perform other tasks. An open environment supporting multi-vendor connectivity, the Jambala WAP Gateway supports the WAP 1.1 specification.

The distributed architecture and open system allows applications to be written in the most appropriate language (e.g., Java or C++) and run suitable hardware. In addition, platform support of Java and CORBA technologies provides a flexible, high-value, platform independent, and rapid service creation environment.

A powerful corporate WAP Server, WAPLite connects WAP-compatible mobile phones to Internet- and Intranet-based applications and content. WAPLite performs fast conversions with low overhead, and can be scaled for hundreds or thousands of users. WAPlite's stack supports connection-less and connection oriented modes over UDP, and can fetch files and data from any web server via HTTP while supporting both GET and POST methods.

The Mshift Engine enables websites to become wireless, interactive, and more accessible by allowing WAP-enabled wireless devices to access and respond to data. With technology that goes beyond WML/HTML conversion, the Mshift Engine is a highly scaleable, dynamic, on-the-fly conversion engine that converts existing Internet content into a format for WAP-enabled devices.

The MobileShift wireless channel has been developed independently of any Network/wireless Carrier, so the wireless end-user can access data no matter which Carrier/Dialup is used. MShift enables mobile commerce and M-Commerce, and extends communication channels to both WAP-enabled Internet devices, and non-WAP wireless devices such as mobile phones, PDA's, and pagers. The integrated database/server technology enables single-click or reduced-click transactions, critical for the success and operability of the portable interface design.

GateWave transfers information to regular phones, Smart Phones or WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) phones. Web pages appear on the screen or are vocally transmitted to the cellular user. PassCall's system is tailored to existing IVR systems and most data infrastructures such as WAP servers and SMS infrastructure.

A text and voice browser, GateWave is transparent to cellular infrastructure and can operate on any standard GSM or CDMA with no modifications required. GateWave uses IML technology (Internet Mobile Link), a set of sophisticated algorithms use existing Internet content, and by imitating the human eye, build special content which may be adjusted to any cellular display or voice application.

The Advantage product line is built on a modular, expandable core technology platform. Advantage is a specialized Internet connectivity and applications software. Supporting network systems form the operating heart of the wireless network's message routers, switches, and middleware.

Advantage Platforms transmits messages and data between the Internet (or intranets) and mobile devices similar to the way that IP router manufacturers' products handle IP data packets in local and wide-area wired networks. Advantage is unique in several ways, including the breadth of wireless and general connectivity and Internet application capabilities in a single network system, and the availability of such broad system capability within a single hardware module or rack.

Included in the Advantage solutions are:

• Wireless Email Gateways/Email Alerting
• Wireless Message Routers
• Wireless Web Servers
• Location-Based Internet Sevices (Telemetrics)
• Personalized Wireless Information Content Hub
• Email Reader/Text-to-Speech Gateways (e-Talker)
• Anti-Spam Network Protection Filter/Secure Network Messaging (e-Sentinel).

Prism is designed to leverage existing, standard HTML content, and deliver the converted content in various standard formats, such as HTML or WML. No proprietary markup languages or specific HTML tags are required. Spyglass Prism operates entirely as a server application that works with any Web browser, requiring no special software to be present on the device itself.

Because it is installed on the server, network issues are completely transparent. Spyglass Prism uses conversion routines to dynamically convert native Web content to best match the capabilities of the target device. Prism is a high-speed server application with a CORBA interface and standard TCP/IP protocols, and supports both Solaris and Windows NT. It is portable to a variety of server platforms including Inktomi's Traffic Server, Microsoft IIS, Netscape Enterprise Server, and WAP Gateways.

Prism is flexible and may be integrated with any service that supports wireless data communications, independent of the underlying data transport interface, and may be used with other gateway and client services designed to reduce wireless network latency and call connection times. Prism's flexible architecture provides quick support for any information appliance and content type.

Spyglass Prism delivers existing content to a wide variety of devices from a single platform. Applications like e-mail, SMS delivery, content synchronization, instant messaging, and notification can be built either on top or integrated with Prism.

Prism can be quickly customized for a variety of content delivery services and is especially strong in supporting WAP-based services. Prism is designed to deliver the reliability, availability, scalability, and manageability that network operators demand. It also offers content providers the ability to deliver existing content to either voice or data information appliances without the need to re-author content into WML, HDML, or other markup languages.

Building the kind of mobile communication service that consumers are increasingly demanding requires a full-featured, robust server technology such as Premion Server+. With its scalable, modular design, Premion Server+ is the optimal platform for building services ranging from simple to complex. Written in Java, Premion Server+ is designed to maximize flexibility and minimize development time. Its multi-threaded design and efficient pooling of threads and resources guarantee the highest level of performance for mobile service.

Premion Server+ builds a mobile service that works with a wide range of mobile communication devices, regardless of their content format, transport protocol, or form factor. Features include:

• Advanced, multi-threading for efficient translation processing
• Data triggered events
• Time-driven notification
• Full SQL support (database and server query support)
• Extensive exception handling and error reporting
• Usage tracking and reporting
• Graphical administration and debugging
• Multiple content format languages
• Multiple delivery protocols, client devices, and content acquisition methods.

The layered architecture of Premion Server+ provides a clean interface for external devices. Content sources and efficient mechanisms process requests and queries. The open architecture ensures not only fast and reliable request handling, but provides maximum flexibility for developers.

A high-throughput, real-time-based WAP-compliant gateway based on patent-pending RT-PACE (Real Time Conversion Engine) technology, eXa.Flow supports both WAP and IP-based protocol communication serving all devices, such as WAP phones, PDAs, and IP-based mobile devices. Unlike WAP Proxy, protocol conversion is performed at network layer, enabling enhanced performance as well as Quality of Service (QoS) and security policies which can be enforced in real time.

The UP.Link Server Suite enables subscriber-access to Internet-based content and applications. The UP.Link Server provides new features such as more detailed and robust billing and the ability to automatically register new subscribers.

With UP.Link Server Suite, operators can gather more detailed billing information and can bill for feature and service access in cooperation with an application developer. Application-specific billing allows an operator and content provider to agree upon a format for sharing billing and transaction information from the application Web server to the operator. UP.Link Server also helps operators streamline their WAP handset provisioning process.

Used in conjunction with Phone.com's powerful Mobile Management Server, the auto-registration feature allows operators to distribute handsets to subscribers without having to pre-provision them. The auto-registration feature reduces initial provisioning costs, and simplifies the transaction at the point of sale, while adding value above and beyond that of a basic WAP gateway. Enhancements have also been made to the UP.Link Server to continue the product's evolution to higher levels of scalability, manageability, and reliability. For example, UP.Link allows operators to monitor the operation and performance of the Server to a finest degree of detail.

WAP Service Broker (WSB) gives Network Operators complete and total control over the quantity and quality of WAP-based services. WSB manages and constrains the otherwise limitless boundaries of the Internet by selectively packaging its content into a highly differentiated information service. WSB manages both Content and Service Providers who create and deliver the information, while empowering subscribers with easy access to that information via WAP-enabled handsets. Content and Service Providers use authorized and authenticated access to the system to present a variety of information, and the subscriber configures a custom handset homepage to browse only sites of interest or relevance.

For mobile users, the Internet can mean information overkill, and random surfing becomes a struggle even with a WAP micro-browser. Wireless access currently averages 9.6 Kbps, so graphics-intensive web sites will slow content delivery down to a crawl. In addition, the input of URL's via the man-machine interface makes the entire process impractical. Subscribers are unlikely to find content that matches their mobility needs, such as quick access to plane and train departures, business news, and stock quotes. Operators have full control over their WAP-based service offering with a WAP Service Broker, and can integrate new WAP services within the cellular network domain.

Features of the WAP Service Broker include:

• full WAP 1.1 compliance
• Set and Forget provisioning of preferred Internet content providers and services
• Unique home page automatically created based on each subscriber's interests
• Rapid access to specific areas of interest for subscribers
• Secure management and firewalling of Internet links
• Interoperability with WAP-enabled phones as well as various legacy mobile phones
• Bridge between the Internet and Mobile worlds over multiple bearer technologies (SMS, CSD, GPRS, USSD, WDP Tunnel)
• Accessibility from any Internet browser, regardless of user's environment (PC, Unix, Mac)
• Integrated directory services, encryption, billing server, and system management interfaces.