Most nonsense surrounding the wireless Web has gone the way of Elvis sightings. Still, it's astounding how much myth and sucker-me-twice hype persists. Even simple questionsââ,¬"Is it a practical business solution today? Who's really using it? And for what kinds of applications?ââ,¬"provoke breathless predictions and billowy claims.
This is to be expected. Wireless subscribers worldwide will continue to grow at a 15.6 percent annual clip, according to Salomon Smith Barney, reaching 1.2 billion by 2005. Simple cell phones will account for most of that growth. But subscribers will also want Internet access, provided it's useful, cheap, speedy, and reliable. Cahners In-Stat Group predicts 1.4 billion subscribers will access the Internet wirelessly by 2004. As a result, untold billions of dollars are now in play to deliver infrastructure, access, and services. Hence the hype.
Even if you stand on the sidelines, the stakes are steepââ,¬"for you and your company. One way or another, the wireless Web will affect the way you work, the way you live. There are very good reasons to avoid it as long as you can. But you can't forestall the inevitable forever. Lies and confusion await you and your company as you finally take the plunge. Knowing these fallacies in advance can save a world of trouble.
