Lecture – 6

Wireless Application Protocol

Course Outline
➢WAP Model
➢Mobile Location based services
➢WAP Gateway
➢WAP protocols
➢ WAP user agent profile
➢ caching model-wireless bearers for WAP
➢ WML WMLScripts - WTA
➢iMode
➢ SyncMLPalm
 Introduction
▪ We are moving towards a net-centric world, where Internet is
becoming part of our environment.
▪ Along with the physical environment, we also acquire information
and knowledge from the Internet.
▪ Empowers mobile users with wireless devices to easily access and
interact with information and services.
▪ A “standard” created by wireless and Internet companies to enable
▪ Internet access from a cellular phone.
 WAP
▪ The Wireless Application Protocol is a protocol standard that
designs the way for a mobile device to communicate to a server
installed in a mobile network.

▪ It is important, because of its attempt to develop an open standard

for wireless protocols, independent of vendor and air link.

▪ Its’ principle The Wireless Application Protocol takes a client server

approach.
 Mobile Applications
✓ Vehicles - ad hoc network with near vehicles to prevent
accidents.
✓Emergencies – military
✓Traveling salesmen - direct access to central customer files
✓Information services – indicate nearest cash ATM
✓ Disconnected operations - mobile agents, e.g., shopping
✓ Entertainment – games, etc
✓Web access , etc.
WAP Model

WAE Logical Model

Mobile Location based services
▪ A location-based service (LBS) is a software service for mobile device
applications that requires knowledge about where the mobile device is
geographically located.
▪ The application collects geodata, which is data gathered in real time using
one or more location tracking technologies.
▪ What are the types and components required to operate location-based
services?
Pull. The application user initiates the location-based service processes.
Push. The application initiates the location process based on a trigger or at
regular intervals.
To operate location-based services, required components are :

✓an application that uses location-based services;

✓a positioning mechanism to collect geodata;

✓a mobile network to transmit or receive data; and

✓analytics software running on a remote server to compute and

deliver relevant data to the user based on geographic location.
What are the risks of using location-based services?
In the recent past, application creators, mobile device
developers and mobile network operators have been accused of
tracking devices and users without their consent.
What are location-based services used for?
There are numerous location-based services, including Waze,
Google Maps, Lyft, Uber, GasBuddy and WhatsApp
 WAP Gateway
✓WAP gateway acts as a middleware which performs coding and encoding
between the cellular device and web server.
✓The WAP gateway can be located either in a telecom network or within a
computer data network (an ISP).
✓A user from a WAP device requests for a WAP page using a
✓URL, the gateway establishes a connection to the target WAP site.
✓It collects the document from the site.
✓Then the WAP page is “compiled” and converted into binary code. Binary
code takes far less space, thus realizes quicker delivery.
✓The code is then sent across to the phone or the wireless device over the air.
Basic functions of a WAP gateway are:

✓ Implementing WAP protocol stack.

✓ Protocol translation between phone and server.

✓ Compress WML pages to save bandwidth.

✓ User authentication and billing.

Architecture of a WAP Gateway
WAP Architecture
WAP Programming Mode
 WAP protocols
❑ Wireless Application Protocol (WAP):
✓ Mobile phone ⇔ web server.
✓ Universal access from everywhere.
✓ WAP is a group of specification to develop applications and services that
operate over wireless communications networks.
✓ WAP is convergence of wireless communication and internet.
✓ Two WAP applications for mobile phones provides location-based information
to the user.
GIS (geographical information system) – geographical information to the user.
APP 1: resource searcher and locator → user can obtain information from the GIS.
App 2: data acquisition system → user can obtain information or can also introduce
information into the GIS
 I-Mode
- The world's first "smart phone" for Web browsing,
- first introduced in Japan;
- provides color and video over telephone sets.
- NTT DoCoMo’s I-Mode is widely used in Japan,
- It is also providing serious competition for WAP.
- I - Mode recently signed a partnership deal with AT&T Wireless.
- Mode is a proprietary service that allows users to connect directly
to the Internet using Compact HTML.
 I-Mode
✓ It is a packet-switched service and is "always on."
Users are charged only for downloading data.

✓Most other wireless networks are circuit-switched and

users are charged for connection time.

✓ There are about 20 million wireless Internet users are

there in Japan using this I-Mode service.

✓I-mode phones transmit data at a speed of 9600 bps.

WML , WML Scripts - WTA
Wireless Telephony Application (WTA)
✓Collection of telephony specific extensions
✓Extension of basic WAE application mode.
✓Extension of basic WAE application model
- content push
- server can push content to the client
- handling of network events
Wireless Markup Language (WML)
ML follows deck and card metaphor.
▪ WML document consists of many cards, cards are grouped to
decks.
▪ a deck is similar to an HTML page, unit of content transmission.
▪ WML describes only intent of interaction in an abstract manner.
▪ presentation depends on device capabilities.
▪ Features
✓ text and images
✓ user interaction
✓ navigation
✓ context management
 WML Script
▪ Complement to WML
▪ Provides general scripting capabilities
▪ Features
validity check of user input
check input before sent to server
▪ access to device facilities
hardware and software (phone call, address book etc.)
▪ local user interaction
interaction without round-trip delay
▪ extensions to the device software
configure device, download new functionality after deployment
SyncML (Synchronization Markup Language)
▪ SyncML is a specification for a common data synchronization framework
and XML-based format, or representation protocol, for synchronizing data
on networked devices.

▪ SyncML is designed for use between mobile devices that are intermittently
connected to the network and network services that are continuously
available on the network.

▪ The overall benefit of SyncML is that it is an industry initiative aimed at

bringing together synchronization technology for many devices, networks,
and data sources.
 Advantages of WAP
✓Wireless Application Protocol is open standard.
✓It is totally vendor independent and Network Standard Independent.
✓ Wireless Application Protocol's transport mechanism is optimized
for
✓wireless data bearers.
✓WAP applications downloaded from the server enable faster service
creation and introduction than embedded software.
✓We can have Route-finder on the WAP page, which can be useful for
finding routes. This may come in very handy for heavy business
travelers.
Disadvantages of the WAP architecture
✓have less powerful CPU’s.
✓ have less memory.
✓ have lower transfer rates.
✓ connection is less stable.
✓ availability is less predictable.
✓ connection media generates higher latency.
✓Power supply and consumption is an important issue.
✓Input devices are far from as powerful as those in stationary
computers.
WAP: Main Features
Browser - “Micro browser”, similar to existing web browsers

Markup language - Similar to HTML, adapted to mobile devices

Script language - Similar to Javascript, adapted to mobile devices

Gateway - Transition from wireless to wired world

Server - “Wap/Origin server”, similar to existing web servers

Protocol layers - Transport layer, security layer, session layer etc.

Telephony application interface - Access to telephony functions

 WAP Security
✓One of the layers of the WAP stack , knowns as WTLS, provides
encryption and authentication for server to client security.

✓This proven transactions and opens the way for e-commerce and
interact-type applications.
General Questions
1. Define WAP.
2. How secure is WAP ?
3. What is a WAP Gateway? What are its functions?
4. Describe the WAP Application Environment.
5. : Describe the following with respect to WAP:
(a) WML
(b) WML Script
(c) WSP