WAP, Wireless Application Protocol

WAP is an open protocol used internationally. In order to establish communication, it borrows a few characteristics of various protocols. A WAP browser offers the basic features of a web browser, but is simplified to function within the limitations of a smaller device. An example would be a cell phone that has a screen significantly smaller than a computer monitor. WAP sites are dynamically converted into or initially scripted in WML (Wireless Markup Language) and then accessed through the corresponding browser. Service providers were rather limited in regard to offering interactive data services before the introduction of WAP. Wireless Application Protocol is now common in activities such as emailing via cell phone, tracking stock market figures, accessing sports scores, and downloading multimedia content. The features it shares with traditional web browsing, has resulted in WAP being referred to as compressed version of HTTP. WAP site tools are accessible in numerous countries including Slovenia, England, Switzerland, Israel and the Philippines.