Re: UKNM: Re: Mobile Commerce

[Kief Morris]

Anthony typed the following on 01:25 16/08/00 +0100

 >Is WAP based on WML (simplied from XML) ?


No, WAP is a communications protocol, WML is a document formatting

language. Think of WAP as TCP or HTTP, and WML as HTML.


 >Is i-Mode based on packets, so it's "always on" and hence cheaper ?


I don't know whether it's based on packets, but being based on

packets has *nothing* whatsoever to do with being always on

or cheaper.


 >How will Bluetooth help with the bandwidth problem ?


Bluetooth is short-range wireless - e.g. your PDA to your PC. I don't think

there is any relationship in the way you mean.


 >Can anyone

 >enlighten me as to what will really be needed for a successful take-off ?

 >Let's take a real-life scenario such as Mobile Banking which is very hot

in

 >Europe at the moment.


It's needs a "Killer App" - a service that someone provides that people find

so compelling, they will buy new phones/PDA's. Bandwidth, colour, protocols,

document formats, and even usability are totally secondary to this.


Is mobile banking really all that compelling? How often do you need to check

your balance/make transactions in a situation where you can't take 15

minutes

to get to an ATM machine? I'm not saying that people wouldn't use mobile

banking if they had it at their fingertips, but I can't see it as a reason

for Joe

Blow to buy a new phone.


Mobile banking, mCommerce, and other mobile services will only take off when

someone provides an application which can only be done in a meaningful way

with a mobile device, and which is compelling to a large number of people.

This will fuel the adoption of the devices, which will allow other - less

compelling -

services to ride its coattails.


kief



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