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Communication Security: Wireless • Chapter 4 177

WAP

The WAP is an open specification designed to enable mobile wireless users to
easily access and interact with information and services.WAP is designed for hand-
held digital wireless devices such as mobile phones, pagers, two-way radios, smart-
phones and other communicators. It works over most wireless networks and can be
built on many operating systems (OSs) including PalmOS,Windows CE, JavaOS,
and others.The WAP operational model is built on the World Wide Web (WWW)
programming model with a few enhancements and is shown in Figure 4.2.

Figure 4.2 WAP 2.0 Architecture Programming Model

Request (URL)
HTTP
WAP Server
Micro Content
Browser
Response (Content)
Push
Initiator
Push (Content)

WAP browsers in a wireless client are analogous to the standard WWW
browsers on computers.WAP URLs are the same as those defined for traditional
networks and are also used to identify local resources in the WAP-enabled client.
The WAP specification added two significant enhancements to the above pro-
gramming model: push and telephony support (Wireless Telephony Application
[WTA]).WAP also provides for the use of proxy servers, as well as supporting
servers that provide functions such as PKI support, user profile support, and provi-
sioning support.

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