Xircom Inc., a U.S.-based maker of PC and wireless connectivity products, has joined the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) Forum Ltd., the company announced today.
WAP technology allows mobile phones that use it to access Web pages written in WML (wireless markup language). The WAP forum industry association claims over 200 member companies, including L.M. Ericsson Telephone Co., IBM Corp., Intel Corp., and Oracle Corp. Though the WAP forum isn't a standards body, the association works with international standards organizations to advise on official WAP specifications.
According to the WAP Forum, 90 percent of all cell phone handset manufacturers have already committed to developing and shipping WAP devices. The WAP Forum cites research by The Strategis Group estimating that there will be 530 million wireless subscribers by 2001, with the number of wireless subscribers worldwide topping 1 billion by 2004.
Xircom, based in Thousand Oaks, California, can be reached at +1-800-438-4526 or at http://www.xircom.com/. The WAP Forum, in London, can be contacted +44-118-949-0000, or at http://www.wapforum.org/.