• by August 8, 2000

While most experts agree that the emergence of wireless web technology will have a major impact on the e-commerce marketplace, one group of industry leaders caution that the wireless medium also represents a completely different user experience with its own set of challenges and opportunities.

This was the consensus of a recent forum for clients of Fry Multimedia, Inc. Leading off the discussion, David Fry recalled, "On the way here, I was stuck in a plane on a runway in Chicago for five hours. People all around me were using web-enabled cell phones and Palm VIIs. I did the same thing, and was able to check and send out emails, look at stock quotes, find out which castaway on 'Survivor' had been voted off the island. So, it's clear wireless is here to stay, and will only grow in popularity and functionality. But how do we seize upon the opportunities offered by this technology and steer around its pitfalls?"

"There are already some very important lessons for e-tailers. Most notably, sitting at home and surfing the net is a completely different user experience than using your cell phone browser or a Palm VII while stuck in traffic. And yet, many retailers make the mistake of trying to transcode their existing web site to a wireless environment - and it simply doesn't work. These are two different worlds. Websites, as we know them today, do not and cannot exist in the wireless world - at least for the foreseeable future," commented Matthew Mizenko, system architect in the Advanced Development Group at Fry.

Mizenko also added, "The best mobile applications will be those that focus on services that are time and location sensitive, offer a practical utility and are technically suitable. This means that wireless is most appropriate for apps like messaging, travel info, directory assistance, personal reminders, flowers, etc. While you certainly can, you're not likely to comparison shop for a new set of golf clubs on a wireless device."

Rob Sears, founder and president of Ecliptic, said, "It's almost too late not to be thinking about creating a wireless site for your company. And there are reasons to adopt now - demand is here, clients are here, and the technology is adequate and getting better. The current predictions estimate more than 400 million mobile data users by 2003. Each of you should be thinking about whether your site will or should be visited by WAP phones, PDAs, WebTV. And if it's not, start working now on how to make it possible."