Users and technology straddle the WAP gap

Mobile technology is advancing at a greater rate than the users' understanding, creating a gulf between products and consumers.

A survey conducted among exhibition goers at London's Internet World shed light on the extent of the gulf, highlighting a lack of knowledge of key technological issues such as WAP.

The survey, commissioned by fledgeling consultancy MobileAge Technology, revealed only ten per cent of mobile phone users owned a WAP phone and while 80 per cent of people had heard of WAP, only half of those knew what it was.

This lack of knowledge suggests the take up of WAP will be slow and raises fears in the industry that the UK will be left behind.

Roy Smith, chief executive of MobileAge Technology, said in a statement: "It is worrying that even within the Internet industry, WAP and SMS [short message service] are not well understood. M-commerce will have a greater effect on the business and the consumer over the next five years than Internet commerce, and those in the online industry need to wise-up now, or miss out on the customer demand as it snowballs."

Users also expressed concerns over the cost of WAP phones.