Understanding WAP Wireless Applications, Devices, and Services phần 5 pptx

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With such developer programs, application and content providers will be able to develop, test, and deploy WAP

applications that interface with WAP components in a real-time environment.

5.2.5.2 Provision of WAP applications

As part of the drive for uptake of the WAP product set, WAP gateway manufacturers have developed trial applications,

which can be hosted on the gateway platform or on a separate platform. These are then offered as part of trial evaluation

kits to interested parties, allowing early visibility of the potential of WAP services.

5.2.5.3 HTML content availability

Manufacturers may optionally provide tailored HTML to WML filtration capability as part of the WAP gateway. This

can allow access to new or existing HTML-based applications from WAP-enabled devices.

5.2.5.4 Vertical market relationships

Manufacturers will tend to develop relationships with service providers in vertical markets, with a view to providing a

broad range of services on WAP gateway platforms. These will include but are not limited to:

l Unified messaging (see Chapter 10);

l Corporate work flow and database access;

l Directory and information services;

l Banking services (see Chapter 11).

5.2.5.5 Vendor partnerships

In order to supply full WAP solutions, a wide range of diverse telecommunications and software development

technologies are required. Manufacturers are likely to rely on their strength areas of expertise and form partnerships with

other vendors to ensure end-to-end provision of WAP services. This is a very sensible approach for vendors to take. For

example, although the worlds of telecommunications and datacommunications have been shown to be merging for a lot

of application areas, the basis of the technologies themselves are so diverse that experts in one of these fields are likely to

be novices in the other.

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5.2.5.6 Early network integrated test environments

To provide early multivendor integration possibilities, WAP component manufacturers will be interested in being

involved with the provision of end-to-end multivendor WAP systems for early network integration test (NIT)

environments. This type of coordination between vendors is common practice with the development of components for

open systems.

5.2.5.7 WAP evaluation kit

WAP offers services to mobile users that for the most part have not been available with other technologies or systems to

date. The responsibility of offering entirely new types of services is that the users need to be educated as to what the new

opportunities are, and how to make the best use of what will be available to them. This will not be a one-way education

either, as the industry will have a lot to learn by listening to the feedback provided by new users. This method of

gathering requirements by examining the market's needs is referred to as task analysis and will provide valuable

information to the WAP industry on how to proceed with WAP. It will also gain the interest of potential users at an early

stage.

Thus, WAP component manufacturers will often provide evaluation kits for such reasons and also assist potential

customers to:

l Understand the architecture and dynamics of WAP system infrastructure;

l Understand how to develop and implement WAP applications;

l Access demonstration WAP applications hosted on the WAP origin servers;

l Begin to evaluate and understand WAP products and services;

l Develop and test some initial WAP applications.

5.3 Functional requirements of a WAP gateway

The WAP gateway is an enabling platform that will provide mobile operators with the ability to introduce WAP-based

services into their networks. The requirements in terms of functionality of the WAP gateway can be divided into three

areas that will be discussed in the next three subsections:

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l Section 5.3.1— Standardized functionality specified by the WAP Forum;

l Section 5.3.2— Functionality required to integrate the standardized WAP functionality with a customers' network;

l Section 5.3.3— Value -added services provided by manufacturers.

5.3.1 Standardized functionality specified by the WAP Forum

The WAP stack implements the WAP protocol and allows the transport of content between the WAP gateway and a

WAP-enabled handset. WAP protocol stacks are required on both the handset and the WAP gateway so that peer-to-peer

protocol connections can be performed. The standardized WAP stack consists of the following layers (see Figure 5.3):

l Wireless datagram protocol layer;

l Wireless transaction layer security;

l Wireless transaction protocol layer;

l Wireless session protocol layer.

Figure 5.3 High-level architecture of WAP gateway and interfaces.