Experts debate slow WAP adoption

NEWS WAP service providers will have to wait at least six months before consumers adopt the technology - with more pessimistic estimates suggesting it may be closer to a year and a half. This is the conclusion of IT consultancy the Bathwick Group's Land of the New Giants discussion panel. Ian Germer, head of Vodafone Airtouch internet services, confirmed his company wasn't expecting WAP services to take off for six months; until people got over unrealistic expectations of what the technology could do. Fellow panellist Jonathon Glaser, CEO of electronic software distribution company, Braindock.com, put the watershed in the WAP market at nearer 18 months. He said: "The crucial change will be an improvement in the input/output device. I think the development of functions like voice recognition and plug-in keyboards will play a big part in getting WAP services off the ground." For more information on the Land of the New Giants panel, see the microsite at http://www.silicon.com/giants . For related news, see
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