TranXactive and Nokia have released the first WAP-based portal in South Africa. WAPHome (
http://www.waphome.co.za
) features free localised WAP content, personalized home pages, and a WAP site directory. This is also one of the first WAP portals to be released and accessed by cellular subscribers internationally.
WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) is a protocol standard that provides Internet access for small hand-held devices, such as mobile phones and personal digital assistants via a mini-browser built into the unit.
The WAPHome portal allows you to setup your favourite WAP home page over the Internet, and then access them on a WAP-enabled handset such as the Nokia 7110 cellular phone. The online directory of local and international WAP sites is centrally maintained and the links are accessible from a mobile phone anywhere in the world. On the web, a subscriber can create a personalized page and then set it up as the home page on a WAP phone. It works the same as the default home page on an Internet browser - but with WAP links and content.
"Entering the WAP site addresses or URLs is a difficult, user-unfriendly task on a cellphone keypad compared to a computer keyboard; you need to toggle letters to enter text and hunt for the symbolic characters ( : , / , . ) that form part of an address." says TranXactive`s Director of Internet Services and E-Commerce, Richard Him Lok, "Setting up your own list of WAPsite favourites on the WAPHome Internet website, is a trivial task with point-and-click."
The SABC and Nokia SA are the primary sponsors of the portal, and the WAPHome portal is targeted for all makes of WAP cellular phones - including Ericsson, Motorola, Siemens and Alcatel eventually - in the interests of promoting the spread of WAP technology. Most of the cellular phone makers have plans to release a WAP handset by the end of the year. Currently, WAPHome works with the popular Nokia 7110 WAP browser.
"We encourage all the cellular service providers to make use of the WAPHome portal to get their new WAP subscribers up and running." says Him Lok. "Use of the portal is free - this a ready-to-go application that can launch their customers into the world of WAP immediately. We will be adding a host of new services shortly such as e-mail, shared contact directories, event reminders and most importantly - personalization."
"The WAPSite Directory contains a regularly-maintained list of all the prominent local and international WAP Sites. The list of WAP sites is rapidly growing, and WAPHome will categorise these links so that the services and sites you want are easily located - along with a short description of the features," commented Him Lok. "You can browse the online WAP directory on the website during setup as well as directly on your WAP handset - all you need is coverage.
"TranXactive CEO, Alastair Koevort expands: " We have struck up a phenomenal partnership with Nokia in South Africa through their official representatives and are delighted to be working so closely with a partner that is as enthusiastic and committed to WAP as they are. The WAPHome portal is powered by database technology and we are at a very advanced stage of developing some exciting new database driven features for WAPHome. We will be announcing some of these new initiatives very shortly."
Gavin Penkin of RF Nokia says "A customized portal will make accessing content and services a simple operation. People are scared of technology, and the WAPHome portal makes browsing the net from a mobile phone a simple operation."
TranXactive specializes in the development of unified, Internet-based business applications that can deliver content over multiple interfaces - allowing websites to extend their reach over a convenient, mobile WAP channel.
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