Wireless Application Protocol (WAP)

Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) is client/server architecture based technology. The WAP is developed for micro-browser of the mobile or cell phone. These phones can be considered as hand-held terminals. The WAP servers are programmed to provide simple services to the users since it is not possible to provide complete flexibility of an ordinary browser. Limited services such as providing result of examination, amount balance in the bank account, temperature and humidity of the day, simple message service etc. can be easily provided on the phones. Day by day new services are being added to the features.

The WAP is the talk of the town due to the wide hype in the telecom industry as well as outside it. WAP is a standardized method  wherein a mobile phone user talks to a server installed in the mobile phone network or exchange. The features of the phone are controlled by software and the phones themselves control switching.

The WAP has been actually develped to provide services in conjuction with wireless service protocols such as the Short Message Service (SMS), Circuit Switched Data (CSD), Unstructured Supplementary Services Data (USSD) and General Packet Radio Service (GPRS).
WAP could not attain great success due to the launch of technology much before actually being properly standardized globally and the blame obviously goes to the wide publicity of the protocol while in its development or infancy stage.