Wireless WANS

Wireless WANS

Although the preceding architectures are specific to wireless LAN environments, employees that are outside the coverage area are required to connect through wireless carriers that provide support for a wireless wide area network (WAN) environment. There are several wireless WAN protocols used all over the world.

Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA)

With CDMA, a large number of users are able to access wireless channels on demand. Used by most digital mobile phone companies today, the performance is almost 8 to 10 times better than traditional analog cell phone systems. The latest generation of this technology is called 3G and is much anticipated by many mobile users.

Global System for Mobile (GSM)

The GSM wireless platform provides full voice and data support with worldwide roaming capabilities. Included in the GSM family is the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) platform for delivering Internet content on mobile devices, and the Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) and Third Generation GSM (3GSM) for delivering mobile multimedia.

Most wireless carriers base their offerings on the previously mentioned platforms, leveraging the strengths of the protocol they decide to use. For example, services offered by Sprint PCS and Verizon Wireless are based on CDMA, whereas AT&T Wireless and T-Mobile use GSM.

Facilitators of a Wireless Environment

In order to facilitate a mobile e-commerce environment, participation of several partners is required, namely:

• Independent hardware vendors (IHVs)

• Independent software vendors (ISVs)

• Mobile device manufacturers

• Service providers (SPs)

• Wireless operators (or carriers)^[1]

Wireless Hardware

There are numerous devices that are wireless-enabled to facilitate an efficient mobile workforce. Some of the top companies that provide these devices are:

Compaq: The makers of iPAQ handheld computers and notebook PCs. They are used in many enterprise settings due to their versatility and high performance. They use Microsoft’s PocketPC platform as their operating system.

Kyocera: They specialize in mobile phones with PDA capabilities, using the Palm OS.

Nokia: The leading mobile phone manufacturer, with innovating products that combine mobile phones, PDAs, and other features.

Palm: Currently the leading provider of PDAs; their operating system, called Palm OS, is a popular platform for wireless application deployment.

Research In Motion (RIM): The makers of the increasingly popular Blackberry wireless devices that allow mobile users to send and receive e-mail.

Symbol: The leading manufacturer of wireless devices and scanners for retail, utilizing the latest technology in bar code scanning^[1].

Wireless devices add value to the enterprise only when they connect to the IT infrastructure and are actively supported by the administration. Access points, network cards, and other components essential to the deployment of a wireless communications infrastructure are available from several vendors, including:

• 3Com

• Cisco^[4]

• Fujitsu

• HP

• IBM

• Siemens^[1]

Wireless Operators

Wireless operators are organizations that provide the hardware and communications infrastructure to make wireless transmission possible in a wireless LAN and/or a wireless WAN environment (see Figure 8.3)^[1]. Most of these provide basic wireless phone services and many of them now offer services to transmit data in various forms. The top three wireless carriers worldwide are listed in Table 8.1^[1].

The top wireless carriers in the United States are:

• AT&T Wireless

• Cingular Wireless

• Sprint PCS

• Verizon Wireless^[1]

Depending on the geographical scope of your organization, you will have to choose the right partner who can provide the required regional and/or national coverage necessary for your e-commerce.

Wireless Software

The wireless software industry is still maturing; furthermore, although most of the players are niche solution providers, very few actually provide substantial value to enterprise deployments. Ranging from low footprint applications like mini-browsers or PDA utilities, to more sophisticated solutions like interdevice communications or global positioning systems, wireless software vendors are engaged in several innovative research and development initiatives. Companies such as Microsoft, Sun, Palm, and others are active in this area.

When deploying a mobile e-commerce strategy, you have to consider the right combination of wireless network architecture, platforms, infrastructure components, devices, and applications in order to be successful. Figure 8.3 depicts a typical wireless architecture adopted by most enterprises.

Figure 8.3: Enterprise-wide view of the wireless infrastructure.

Even with the absence of ubiquitous standards, the current wireless infrastructure is stable enough to support and deploy wireless applications developed for the mobile workforce. As wireless technologies mature, the quality and availability of wireless software will also grow. An important factor to consider is the need to secure and manage the enterprise infrastructure, while making all the necessary assets available to your mobile workforce.