Applications next step to wireless data success
rcrnews.com
March 22, 1999
By Antony Bruno
While it would be woefully premature to call 1999 ‘‘the year of wireless
data,'' few would disagree the industry has come a long way in the last
year.
In 1998, several new devices were introduced that met the form factor
and price requirements needed for the consumer market. Additionally,
carriers began developing and selling complete solution packages as
opposed to only airtime. But there is yet one piece of the puzzle needed
before true consumer acceptance of wireless data can be
realized—mass-market applications.
The wireless data industry still is pushing the technology to consumers, say
analysts. There is no real pull or demand for it from consumers. The right
applications could change that.
As such, the wireless data industry is primping itself to better attract
developers so they might write the applications that will, in turn, lure the
horizontal market customers.
‘‘Applications will help drive the market, and I think we are beginning to
reach the developer community needed for that to happen,'' said Mark
Desaultels, managing director of the Wireless Data Forum. ‘‘We believe
it's the community we need to attract, and clearly, there's a burgeoning
community there.''
Efforts to recruit developers have reached an all-time high. BellSouth
Wireless Data L.P. recently held its first-ever solutions conference
dedicated to entice more developers to the fold. Sierra Wireless Inc.
formed the WirelessReady Alliance program, consisting of carriers,
hardware manufacturers, software developers and system integrators
promoting wireless data applications.
In May, Zsigo Wireless Data Consultants Inc. plans to hold its
WirelessDeveloper '99 conference, formerly known as CelluComm Expo.
The show's primary function is ‘‘to bring together the application
developers who create the wireless data solutions we all know are so
badly needed in our industry,'' according to the company.
The Wireless Data Forum felt so strongly about this effort that it scheduled
its member conference just prior to WirelessDeveloper in the same place,
Monterey, Calif.
Apparently, these efforts are beginning to pay off. The Software
Development Forum—a Silicon Valley-based organization with groups
dedicated to Java, e-commerce and Windows applications—recently
formed a special interest group focusing on personal digital assistants and
wireless applications. The group is expected to hold a session during the
WDF meeting.
Joe Jasin of Information, Communications & Entertainment Group L.L.C.
co-founded the PDA/Wireless SIG. He said he degided to form the group
based on recent developments in the wireless data industry, in particular
the Palm series of PDAs and the Unwired Planet Inc. UP.browser.
The first meeting, held in October, attracted some 30 attendees. The next
one attracted about 300, mainly because the Palm Pilot's inventor was the
featured speaker.
‘‘Some 60 percent to 70 percent of our audience is in Palm
development,'' Jasin said.
The new line of devices introduced in recent months have had a big impact
on the effort to herd more developers to the industry. Another device
many have touted as an industry ice-breaker is the Inter@ctive 950 pager
from Research in Motion Ltd.
Both BellSouth Wireless Data and American Mobile Satellite Corp. use
the device for their respective interactive paging services. BellSouth has
targeted vertical and horizontal markets with the unit, while AMSC's
Ardis network has attracted mostly utility and transportation users.
‘‘The RIM device heralded the beginning of some very exciting stuff,''
said Bill Frezza, a consultant with Wireless Computing Associates.
The device is one of the first made for the wireless data industry that is
consumer-friendly in form factor and price. Bell Lenahan, BSWD
president and chief executive officer, said this is important because mobile
data devices must meet personal and business needs in order to gain
consumer acceptance.
At the opening session of the company's solutions conference, Lenahan
pointed out several trends he thinks will benefit the wireless data space.
First, workers are being asked to do more than before, so they need to be
more organized, efficient and mobile, Lenahan noted. Next, the lines are
blurring between business life and personal life. Finally, technology has
evolved to meet demand with form factors shrinking and becoming more
interactive.
‘‘The value of these interactive devices that have emerged complement
laptop devices,'' Lenahan said, estimating interactive paging device sales
will equal that of laptops in 2000.
New device
The heir-apparent to the Inter@ctive 950 is the Palm VII, expected to be
commercially available this summer. The new Palm device features a
built-in connection to BellSouth's network, which can be activated by
extending the antenna.
The device uses the wireless connection to access several pre-assigned
Internet portals, allowing users to obtain a variety of Web-based
information content from the device.
‘‘We now have two different platforms to develop to—the 950 and the
Palm VII,'' he said. ‘‘There will be thousands and millions of users
attracted to these two devices.''
Concerns
However, analysts have expressed some concern the Palm VII has no
e-mail notification ability. Palm VII owners can use the device to check
their e-mail, but only when the antenna is extended, activating the wireless
connection.
‘‘This is not a good e-mail device,'' admitted Palm Computing Inc.'s Joe
Sipher. ‘‘What it can be is a great messaging device,'' for sending short
information packets and receiving non-time-critical notes.
But because analysts consider e-mail the only application worth talking
about in the wireless space, many have called the Palm VII a mere gadget.
The upcoming release of phones equipped with Wireless Application
Protocol technology is expected to interest developers as well. However,
there is some trepidation because of a possible standards war between
Microsoft Corp. and WAP.
Such standards confusion could prove a hurdle to many developers eyeing
the data space. Jasin said today is an ‘‘exploratory and incubation''
period for developers when discussing wireless data. Because the industry
moves so fast from one standard to another, it's difficult to make a
commitment. This holds true for both device platforms as well as
transmission technology, he added.
‘‘Who's going to be the prominent carrier, the prominent operating
system?'' he asked. ‘‘Developers are not all convinced Palm's going to
be it because of how intimidating Microsoft is.''
He pointed to company's like AvantGo Inc., which recently announced
partnerships with The Windward Group and Microsoft Silicon Valley
Developer Center to offer free seminars to businesses interested in
extending their applications to mobile platforms. He said developers are
especially interested in AvantGo's solutions because the company
embraces two of the most popular platforms in mobile computing
today—Palm Computing Inc.'s Palm OS and Microsoft Corp.'s
Windows CE.
The idea of making the vast power of the Internet available wirelessly
generates a lot of excitement, but there are problems that must be
overcome.
Analysts attending BSWD's solutions conference pointed out Internet
development exceeds wireless data network development. The Internet is
now capable of transmitting information at speeds wireless networks will
never match. The wireless ‘‘pipe'' is quite narrow compared with that of
wireline. Also, wireless carriers charge on a per-minute usage model.
As such, there must be two Internet models—the desktop model and
wireless model. While this is indeed a challenge, the potential is too great
to ignore. The Internet has become more and more popular. The world
has become full of ‘‘Internet addicts,'' and allowing them to access it
wirelessly will allow them to better feed their habit.
Because of these challenges, carriers and other companies have begun to
offer complete solutions as opposed to airtime solutions only. In order to
sell airtime, they have developed the necessary partnerships on both ends
of the network.
‘‘If there's not an end-to-end solution, we don't get paid,'' said BSWD's
Lenahan. ‘‘Together, we have to ensure flawless service.''
Jasin encouraged carriers to include developers more in that effort.
‘‘Position software as an equally integral part of the package as the
hardware,'' he said. ‘‘The carrier, software and hardware pieces are
equally as important.''
Carriers have responded with efforts to make it easier for developers to
write to their standards, streamlining much of the work beforehand so
developers don't need to spend a lot of time understanding the carrier's
network.
Addressing developers at the solutions conference, Lenahan's words
seem to indicate why.
‘‘We challenge you to think outside the box and actively participate in this
new wireless world.''
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