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February 1999


Mobile CTI Development:
Looking Past Parochial Rivalries, Recognizing Mobile CTI's International Scope

BY BOB EMMERSON

To date, factionalism between Windows CE and the Palm operating system has skewed discussion of mobile CTI development. Indeed, these operating systems have stirred up so much controversy that casual observers could easily confuse media attention with actual importance. But, engaging as it is, the rivalry between these two operating systems may hardly matter, at least in the long term. Appearances notwithstanding, these operating systems represent but a small part of the mobile CTI development universe. A broader view of mobile CTI reveals that developers need to account for standardization efforts - within the United States and abroad - as well as the evolution of wireless services that underpin wireless applications.

ALTERNATIVE PLATFORMS
One reason the CE-vesus-Pilot debate is somewhat parochial is that it ignores the important developments that are taking place in Europe. What, Europe? Yes. Consider this: Europe is heavily committed to the GSM standard. In fact, it has built up its GSM services to such an extent that GSM now exerts considerable influence over standards developments that are relevant to developers.

Right now there are over 130 million subscribers to GSM services. There may be as many as 300 million by 2000, and as many as 600 million by 2002. Every month between five and seven million new subscribers sign up, and services are up and running on over 400 networks in more than 140 countries.

The success of the GSM standard has engendered a whole slew of related developments for this global market. For example, one development concerns the introduction of a EPOC, a new operating system that will be used in smart phones and wireless PDAs (also known as wireless information devices). Another manifestation of GSM's importance is its relevance to the Wireless Application Protocol, or WAP. Essentially WAP will hide the complexity of GSM (and all other cellular networks, including those in the United States) at the application layer.

The EPOC Operating System
Ericsson and Nokia must have taken a long look at CE, but these two Nordic companies, which are bitter rivals, apparently decided that something else would better suit their purposes. That something, it turns out, is the EPOC real-time operating system, which is used in the Psion - the PDA market leader in Europe.

Ericsson and Nokia chose EPOC because this operating system was specifically developed for PDAs, which Psion, a UK company, has been making since 1982. In Europe, their market share is an impressive 43 percent.

The first version of EPOC was 8-bit; the move to a 16-bit operating system was made in 1987; and the new 32-bit version was written in C++ from the ground up. EPOC is therefore definitely not a "lite" version of something else. It's a lean, mean, real-time operating system that is fully object-oriented.

Another indication of EPOC's importance is the Symbian alliance, which was formed by Ericsson, Nokia, and Psion, and which ultimately welcomed Motorola to its ranks. As now constituted, the alliance, which licenses, develops, and supports EPOC, may well complement the hardware developments instigated by Ericsson, Motorola, and Nokia, companies that, together, manufacture over 60 percent of the world's cellular handsets. Such solid support for EPOC by handset manufacturers would seem to exclude Microsoft from the market for smart phones and similar devices based on the GSM standard. If you tie up the handset manufacturers and the network providers, then there is no room for even Mr. Gates to get into the act.

The Wireless Application Protocol
WAP may extend to the wireless domain what the Web is doing for the Internet. That is, WAP may facilitate the development of "lite" Internet applications that will run on wireless information devices. Just think: Software houses around the world may be able to write applications for the wireless market, a market that promises staggering growth.

Initially, WAP's impact in the United States may be underwhelming. Ultimately, however, we may witness a huge new CTI market for WAP-compliant applications, for while devices may be sexy, applications are what end users really buy.

The current emphasis is on diary and address management plus smooth synchronization with the desktop machine. This is what the PalmPilot does so well, but no connectivity is involved. Workers wanting the mobile equivalent of an intranet clearly require a lot more functionality. This is where WAP enters the equation.

You can think of WAP as an application programming interface (API). It defines an application environment and a set of communication protocols that standardize the way wireless information devices can be used for Internet access, including e-mail, the WWW, newsgroups, and chat.

Wireless Internet access is by no means unprecedented, but manufacturers typically enabled such access through the use of proprietary technologies. In the future, all devices and service systems that use WAP will be able to interoperate regardless of the manufacturer, network standard, operator, or technology being employed.

EVOLVING SERVICES
In general, GSM services are being upgraded to permit greater speeds and to effect a change from circuit-switched to packet-based operations. So far, so promising. It should be noted, however, that some of these service upgrades require users to change to new handsets. Not exactly convenient. On a brighter note, converting wireless operations to IP means that users can be managed in the same way as users residing on a LAN. That is, users acquire access to a real mobile intranet.

Another advantage is that putting wireless on an IP basis may open up options for international traffic. That is, the Internet may accommodate international traffic as easily as the PSTN.

Less Redundancy, More Compression
Currently, GSM chugs along at 9.6 Kbps, but in 1998 some operators started offering a 14.4 Kbps service. The higher rate comes as a result of decreasing the amount of redundancy in the data stream. Higher single-slot rates can be obtained using data compression, for example, V.42bis.

High-Speed Circuit-Switched Data (HSCSD)
A much more significant increase, however, comes when operators introduce high-speed circuit-switched data (HSCSD). GSM uses time division multiple access (TDMA) technology to divide each air channel into eight time slots. Each user is allocated one transmit and one receive slot.

HSCSD uses multiple slots (N x 9.6 or 14.4 Kbps), and operators can employ either a two-slot (28.8 Kbps service) or an asymmetric combination of four slots (1 up and 3 down) for Internet/intranet access. HSCSD is relatively easy to implement and operators do not need to invest in additional hardware. Users, however, will need new multi-slot devices.

General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)
The service that the market really wants, however, is general packet radio service (GPRS), a packet-based method of communicating over the GSM infrastructure. If it is to accommodate this new technology, the infrastructure must be upgraded. In addition, changes to the handsets are necessary. Despite these requirements, GPRS develops apace. Expect to see GPRS services in the 1999/2000 time frame.

GPRS comprises four different coding schemes and, in consequence, four different single-channel data rates: 9.05, 13.4, 15.6, and 21.4 Kbps per channel. Up to eight channels can be used, giving a maximum data rate of 171.2 Kbps.

GPRS service will be ideal for use in the corporate environment. Costs are based on usage, not time and distance. In addition, with this medium, the mobile terminal is always connected to the Internet or corporate LAN. Terminals may be powered down, but they will wake up the instant messages arrive; that is, dialing up to send or receive data will be unnecesary.

As mentioned earlier, GPRS rollouts are complicated by the need for users to change devices. However, it is technically possible to implement both HSCSD and GPRS in the same device. In fact, I expect Nokia will do so in future versions of their PC card phone. Such devices, that is, hybrid HSCSD/GPRS devices, will enable users to select whichever service is most appropriate at any given time. For example, a user may download a presentation over HSCSD when a meeting is about to start (and time is short), or use GPRS if there is time to spare.

Another key feature of GPRS is the ease with which the network operator can convert data to IP. Incidentally, gateways are also available for circuit-switched traffic.

FUTURE TRENDS
Yet further elaboration of GSM is being countenanced to accomplish yet higher data rates. For example, Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) is coming over the horizon. EDGE will allow GSM operators to use existing GSM radio bands to offer wireless multimedia IP-based services and applications at speeds of almost 400 Kbps, with a bit-rate of 48 Kbps per time slot. This figure increases to 69.2 Kbit/sec under good radio conditions. Ericsson has demonstrated this technology, which also works on D-AMPS.

Another initiative to increase data rates is the development of a new air interface, which is where third-generation GSM comes in. However, third-generation GSM has become a political football. QualComm is appealing for an intellectual property foul, and Ericsson is mediating and proposing various accommodations. While all this strife tends to confuse matters, what is clear is that GSM will adopt a new WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) air interface standard. This will operate on the GSM core network and provide multimedia access at up to 2Mbit/sec.

CONCLUSION
Today, CTI is at the nexus of three trends in computing and communications:

  1. The evolution of more compact and more powerful and more reliable form factors.
  2. The continued growth of digital wireless communications.
  3. The ascendance of IP-based networking.

Taken together, these trends will project CTI from the desktop/wireline arena into the handheld device/wireless arena. Indeed, we may soon see universal communicators, handheld devices that will consolidate, in a compact package, your cellular phone and pager, as well as your e-mail, voice mail, one-number follow-me, and Internet services.

At present, the emphasis is on connecting PDAs and IP networks via wireless technology. Early applications including messaging services and attenuated Web browsing. True e-mail and complete Web browsing are still too taxing for today's devices. That may soon change, however. In the meantime, there are many interesting opportunities, including schemes to enliven PDAs with user-configurable real-time data feeds.

As the market evolves, and as the development environment grows more sophisticated, developers may want to be aware of relevant advances in Europe and Asia, regions where GSM, and GSM-related technologies, are well established. Inasmuch as Web/wireless integration has an international dimension, GSM adherents will exert influence over the evolution of standards of interest to developers.

Bob Emmerson is a freelance writer who contributes to computer and communications magazines. For example, he wrote regularly for the European version of Byte. More recently, he has contributed work to the Financial Times. To contact the author, send e-mail messages to [email protected].


PDAs With Wireless Connectivity

Web/wireless integration is already manifest in the appearance of PDAs (Personal Data Assistants) that connect to IP networks via wireless technology. In the United States, 3Com's Palm Computing division announced the Palm VII, a handheld device that will allow users to download information from selected Internet sites (via "Web clipping" technology), and exchange Internet messages (via an application called iMessenger).

The device's hardware includes a built-in two-way radio. An antenna serves both as a radio frequency receiver and an automatic on/off switch for Internet applications. The device may take advantage of services like those announced by BellSouth, which indicates its network covers 93 percent of the urban business population.

Outside the United States you can send and receive data over GSM, but you must use your PDA in conjuntion with a cell phone. For example, let's say you had a PalmPilot Professional edition or Palm III connected organizer. You could upgrade these devices with enhanced infrared IR update software, and then establish an IR link with your cell phone. Once you've added the relevant protocol, you can select the IR function, at which point all serial communications are beamed over to the IR port of the mobile phone.

At present, this approach is possible with Ericsson phones. (Also: check out the Ericsson DI-27 wireless modem.) Similar arrangements may soon be possible with 3Com devices and Nokia phones, which are even more numerous than Ericsson phones.

However, if you own a Psion Series 5 and the Nokia 8810 phone, you can do almost anything because the Psion is a fully featured PDA that includes a real keyboard. The anything includes e-mail, Internet access, faxing, and GSM's short message service. The latter is used to send messages of 160 characters to and from mobile phones and is also employed for value-added services like traffic updates and weather conditions.







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