Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : Qualcomm Moderated Thread - please read rules before posting -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Eric L who wrote (5872)	1/2/2001 12:35:04 PM
From: Eric L	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 197036

WAP Forum Debunks Critical Study By Dan McDonough, Jr. Wireless NewsFactor January 2, 2001 The WAP Forum said the harshly critical Nielsen Norman study lacks a sound basis because it surveyed just 20 individuals and did not include current WAP users. The WAP Forum said it believes a report issued by the Nielsen Norman Consulting Group regarding the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) perpetuates "unfair and unwarranted criticisms, and false assumptions about WAP." The report, released in December, found that WAP -- which is used to access the Internet from wireless devices -- is "not ready for prime time." Nielsen Norman said it surveyed people who "had suffered through the painful experience of using WAP," and that 70 percent of those who tested WAP-enabled wireless phones said it was unlikely they would consider using a WAP phone again in the next year. The WAP Forum, a nonprofit industry association devoted to the development of WAP specifications, said the study's methodology and subsequent findings are flawed. Imprecise Study The WAP Forum said it believes the study lacks a basis from which to draw meaningful conclusions because it surveyed only 20 users. The Forum also said Nielsen Norman should have included current WAP users in the study. In London, where the survey was conducted, the WAP Forum said BT Cellnet alone has more than 500,000 WAP subscribers, each generating US$160 a year in revenue for WAP service and usage. The Forum said it is easy to see WAP service's allure, considering that the number of BT Cellnet WAP subscribers nearly tripled in the last five months. The WAP Forum also said it might have been more accurate for Nielsen Norman to analyze the habits of EZWeb users in Japan, who number in the millions, according to the WAP Forum. *User Response* The Nielsen Norman Group conducted the WAP field study in the fall of 2000. They gave participants a WAP-enabled phone and tasks to perform in studies before and after using the phone on their own for a week. Users also were interviewed about their experience using WAP technology. According to Nielsen Norman, the respondents did not expect WAP to be usable "any time soon." "They definitely didn't like it," the firm concluded. Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) is a standard for wireless Internet access via cellular phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and other mobile devices. The WAP Forum includes more than 600 companies worldwide. << I HATE WAP! - Eric -