Selecting a middleware solution should be easy, right? Yet in this crowded market, it is important to understand how one middleware solution differs from another, not only in terms of features/benefits, but also investment protection.

WBT's Wi-Fi editor reports on a recent conference that was devoted to examining the value, profit prospects, and real-world obstacles inherent in deploying and maintaining wireless public Internet access networks ­ commonly called 'hotspots.' In light of the estimate that there will be over 10,000 public wireless access points by the end of 2002, Ron profiles the players in the hotspot market today, and explains some of the flavors of the 802.11 standard that's fueling the growth of Wi-Fi.

With anytime, anywhere access to the Web, e-mail, Internet applications, and more, mobile professionals are enjoying the convenience and flexibility of being cable-free. But what would happen if suddenly 5,000,000 cellphones dropped their calls and stopped working for several hours or days?

WBT's VC editor Tim Bresien has been making the rounds to see which industry segments are getting the most traction. Here's his outlook on what to watch for in the wireless arena in the months ahead.

In October, Japan's mobile miracle, roughly summed up as 'i-mode, W-CDMA, and Sha-mail,' took a beating in the European press. Given the tiny numbers using i-mode in Europe, W-CDMA difficulties at home, and the alleged dearth of real revenue on Sha-mail, skeptics had a field day.

Universities across the country are increasingly implementing wireless solutions.The reason is twofold: better access for students in an information-centered lifestyle, and increased ROI for the academic institution.

When might global interoperability become realized? What is going to be the 'killer application' that revolutionizes the mobile payments industry? While key groups work toward a solution for standardization, the compelling business proposition for mobile payments has not yet been identified.

From recording temperature fluctuations in caves to tracking components for warranty claims, the portable power of Palm handhelds, combined with the tiny iButton, offers an affordable, highly mobile solution that's easy to use. During the week, Pete Lindsley works as an electrical engineer for Raytheon, but on many weekends he can be found deep within a cave in Arkansas, Texas, or Kentucky exploring and conducting research. This tech-savvy 'caveman' is a member and former president of the Cave Research Foundation, a publicly supported, non-profit organization dedicated, among other things, to facilitating research and conservation of caves.

The government of the District of Columbia is embarking on a major revamp of its communications technologies as one of many steps to improve its level of service, specifically emergency services, to its residents.

Java's back: after spending seven years wandering around the wilderness of Web browsers (where it gave us applets) and servers (where it's had a little more success, with servlets and JavaServer Pages entrenched as a serious platform for dynamic content), it's returned to its roots as a language for programming consumer electronic devices.

Tibet, the poorest province in China, has the highest ARPU for China Mobile. A poor Beijing student from the province of Hubei walks around with the latest Samsung color-screen GPRS Java-enabled phone. Construction workers climb high-rises while talking on Nokia phones. China is the largest and fastest-growing wireless market, but be warned: China is a great myth where paradoxes materialize in a never-ending story.

It's hard to quantify just how many developers are building new wireless applications today...but their numbers are sure to swell as new color handsets and robust operating systems hit the market. At the close of 2002, NTT DoCoMo tallied more than 3,300 menu sites on its network, representing the breadth of mobile content available to its Japanese subscribers.

Plotting sound strategies to navigate the rough waters of today's mobile market means charting the hazards along with the opportunities. What will it take to keep your business plan for 2003 from ending up on the rocks? Here are some helpful tips for staying on course.

When Pandora was given gifts from the gods, she had many wonderful things, but she also had a box that she was told never to open. The box contained all the bad things in the world, and as long as it stayed closed, the world was a wonderful place full of joy and happiness. But Pandora's curiosity got the better of her, and she couldn't resist opening it just a little to see what was inside.

Thanks to some new devices on the market, not to mention Sendo's high-profile defection away from Microsoft, the Symbian operating system has been in the news a lot lately. What's the story behind the system, and what does it have to offer developers, end users, and the market in general?

With the advancement of high-speed wireless networks and mobile phone technology, and a demand from investment banks, the availability of real-time stock quotes and financial data, using phones, PDAs, and Pocket PCs, is now a reality.

The future of the burgeoning wireless industry is far from clear. A crystal ball is about as close as you'll come right now. The mobile community struggles alongside other consumer industries in these conservative times. Short-term, the lack of new investment may be the biggest challenge for operators facing uncertain seas ahead.

The success of SMS was somewhat of a surprise when it quickly proved itself as a high-value service. The rollout of new color mobile handsets by all operators is poised to do the same for MMS and picture messaging.

After years of losses, China's three biggest Internet portals are making a sharp turnaround, posting their first profits and turning into a rare bright spot on the slumping NASDAQ stock market. Investors can thank China's love affair with the mobile phone.

Java-based IM poses many advantages over SMS. Only by preparing for wireless Java's launch into mobile instant messaging can operators turn possible bad news into good news. Here's a basic strategy to follow.

UPS, one of the world's largest wireless users, continues to expand its wireless capabilities with the deployment this year of a Bluetooth-Wi-Fi scanning application in 1,700 facilities worldwide.

Fueled by the popularity of reality TV and the immense success of text messaging worldwide, the American market is embracing mass media as a catalyst for SMS usage. One innovative solution has paired AT&T Wireless and 'American Idol' in a promotion that is taking the U.S. by storm.

The advent of 3G technologies has brought a new dynamic to the wireless marketplace. Pricing is no longer the only differentiator among carriers fighting for subscribers - now more than ever, customer service is key.

Mesh technology is taking broadband wireless into markets and applications that were unthinkable just a few years ago.

In what is claimed to be the largest outbound SMS campaign to date in the U.S., Levi's took the plunge into mobile marketing. In a 'hunt the clue' style campaign, Levi's offered a pair of diamond-encrusted jeans that consumers could win by visiting the Levi's Web site, and answering questions and playing virtual games in return for clues as to where the $150,000 jeans were hidden. Levi's aired the final clue in the contest during a 60-second Super Bowl TV commercial.

The latest International Telecommunications Union (ITU) report on the state of world telecommunications revealed that seven of the world's ten most profitable telecom companies are in Asia.

By banding together via aggregators, lots of smaller companies can make a proposition the operators can't ignore. One of the most frustrating experiences for mobile content or service providers is negotiating a profitable channel to market with mobile operators. The negotiation process itself can be tough, but even getting to the meeting table is difficult.

Across the nation, pitched battles are being waged in city streets. On one side are the wireless telecommunications companies, trying to fulfill their mandate under the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996 to provide seamless wireless coverage nationwide by rapidly deploying their facilities in the public rights-of-way. On the other side are the county and municipal governments that seek to use their land use powers to control what goes in their streets and highways.

Developing multimode (or even dual-mode) products is far from being an easy task. For a product to have any hope of success in a marketplace that is as competitive as the wireless industry, there are many challenges that need to be addressed simultaneously. Both near- and long-term strategies are necessary.

Most buildings have blank spots where your phone won't work. Here's a look at how to increase mobile phone coverage in buildings, without annoying the network provider or the authorities.

Using what is called simultaneous multimodality, service providers and enterprises can deliver more compelling mobile applications - for entertainment, workforce management, commerce, interactive messaging, and more - that seamlessly mix voice and visual interaction to improve ease-of-use.

Just to prove that everything old is new again, a 75-year-old speech technology is headed for hot competition among network operators. Now with wide-ranging connectivity, it seems a limitless opportunity for applications lies ahead.

Italy is among the first countries in the world to use commercially available 3G phones. Like fashion, the Italians can be preoccupied with their technology-led accessories. Most Italians have at least two mobile phones: one for business and one for pleasure, both constantly being updated. Therefore, what better deserving consumers than Italians to be among the first to get their hands on the new 3G phones?

A modern-day Atlantis of sorts, the city of Richmond, British Columbia, Canada sits on an island - the delta of the Frazier River. A haven from the watery depths surrounding it, the landmass is made mostly of sand and silicon deposits from the river itself. The environment is flat - perfect for a critical-needs wireless network.

This month's Dateline China is in the form of 'news in brief' snippets chosen to demonstrate how the pace of infrastructure and application development here is hotting up. These stories all stem from colorful, bustling Shanghai, whose name means 'on the sea,' the home to 8 million residents and an itinerant population of about 2 million workers. As China's largest city and its financial center, Shanghai has over 5 million mobile phone subscribers.

Analyzing the customer experience to ensure that the end user has a perception of value creates an environment in which a carrier can maximize profitability and a return on investment.

By applying Web-based and wireless technologies, real-estate owners can achieve astounding efficiencies that can drive revenues up and operating costs down, thereby enhancing the value of their properties.

So you want to build a WML site? Here's everything you need to know to get your first one up and running. Web experience is based on a client/server process. A client software (Web browser) sends a request to the server (Web server) for a specific page.

One of the key mistakes an organization makes is thinking that one wireless device can satisfy the needs of the entire company. Here's advice on how to make the right choice for your company.

'American Idol' appears to be the first major television production in the U.S. to capitalize on a target audience that falls into the category of 'technology-savvy youth.' By all accounts, the results are impressive. By April 9, AT&T was able to claim their one millionth vote via text messaging and they're still only halfway through what is, to say the least, an elongated program format.