Developing a WAP-based Mobility Survey System

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) is the de facto standard for wireless computing and an essential technology underlying the linkage of mobile devices to the Internet. This protocol plays a key role in fostering the global trend toward mobile commerce and what is sometimes referred to as ubiquitous, pervasive, or weightless computing. This Phase I SBIR application proposes to test the feasibility of extending the data gathering capabilities of the platform-neutral, multilingual, AskAnywhere survey system to WAP-enabled devices including web phones, personal digital assistants and a growing number of application-specific mobile computing platforms. The demand for low cost, lightweight, Internet-based handheld survey devices is growing. Healthcare specialist, social scientist, educators, and political pollsters, etc. have an immediate need for wireless, mobile survey systems capable of maintaining a continuous link to the Internet. Current handheld solutions are limited largely to desktop HotSync cradles, infrared (IR) beaming, and proprietary wireless connections restricted to local area networks or national "web clipping" services. Reliance on these older protocols constrains a device's link to the network, limiting the nature of its communication with online databases and thereby reducing its value for widespread survey efforts. A portable survey system based on a three-tier model consisting of a client-side, WAP-based mobile PDA (personal digital assistant); Java servlet middleware; and back-end database will furnish researchers with a lightweight data gathering system freed of the constraints imposed by the limits inherent in current, wireless, mobile survey products.