The Need for the Wireless Application Protocol (wap) in Cars

Future cars will be integrated in large information systems, where various kinds of information might be sent to and from a car. Beyond information about the current traffic condition or weather forecast, cars should also offer access to the Internet, enabling electronic commerce or mobile commerce such as online banking and online brokerage, and various other applications. In order to handle this flood of information, a common platform is needed that allows for the integration of those different information streams. We explain, why the use of the common Internet protocols does not make sense and describe the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), which was developed especially for the use in mobile and wireless networks, and why it is advantageous for the use in the area of traffic telematics.