A little history and a peek forward

This blog is supposed to focus on my rants/raves/general focus around the mobile/wap world.  Am working at the leading WAP solutions company in India, MobiPorter.  At MobiPorter, we are trying to help organizations who are currently "on-line" in terms of web-based, leverage the enormous potential of the mobile platform.  We are experts at mobify-ing anything and across technologies.  Simply put, we help put the net on the third-screen.

Some of the recent developments in the whole mobile world has started a snowball effect.  Initially, all mobile development used to be done either via C++ or J2ME apps (largely client side with a massive certification and maintenance headache involved.  The other option: was to create applications in WML - the Wireless Markup Language.  This wasn't a feature-rich language, but it did provide a small smattering of "html"-like options and then some.  However, the key thing, here was that WML is not HTML.  And, unfortunately, couldn't be translated into HTML, either (never the twain shall meet-types).  So, the bridge between the two worlds (the online/Web) and the mobile seemed non-existent. No joy!

But don't abandon hope just yet!  Along came a knight.  And that knight was: XHTML-MP! More details can be found in my whitepaper.
 
But, was this really the silver bullet?   In many and important aspects, the answer is a 'Yes'.  However, there were some casualties.  WML veterans would still be griping over them. 
These included the following:

1. XHTML MP does not support decks and cards

2. XHTML MP does not support timers

3. XHTML MP does not support events (bummer!)
   

4. XHTML MP does not support variables (ouch!)
   

5. XHTML MP does not support client-side scripting (ugh!)
   

6. XHTML MP does not support programmable softkeys (pain!)
   

7. XHTML MP does not support the tag

8. XHTML MP does not support the format attribute for input fields

9. XHTML MP does not support posting of data with anchor links

So, while some of the above were "acceptable" losses. Some clearly weren't! It did push the WAP phenom back a bit.

But lo! There is hope at the horizon.

With the advent of Level-4 browsers in most smartphones today (expect them to hit mass-market in the next 12-18 months), most of the above issues are bound to be confined to the annals of history.

So, exactly what is a Level 4 browser? If you haven't heard of that term either, relax, you are not alone.  Its a PIB!  It tries to identify those browsers that are HTML 4 compliant.  Currently, most are either 3.2 or lower (depending on your make, model and firmware).

So, will that solve the woes of the web world? Will this be the silver bullet? Will one finally be able to 'write-one and run-EVERYwhere'? Will everything be just an interface or a translation away?
Is Business Process Management truly possible?

Hardly! (But since when did that stop the "P. T. Barnums of the world" from trying ... ;) )

But it will nevertheless be a huge step towards helping the online world embrace the mobile one. One of the products we are developing at MobiPorter, is a catalyst to help organizations leverage all that is on offer today, and some of what's coming in tomorrow - to allow them to maximize their investments and leverage technology is a truly enabling manner (rather than 're-inventing the wheel').

After all, the future IS mobile! (for now, at least! ;) )

P.S. if you notice carefully, some of the links provided are actually wap-friendly... aren't I clever .... heh heh :p