WAP, or Wireless Application Protocol, is an open international standard used to enable Internet access to wireless mobile gadgets. The use of WAP allows cellphones and PDA's to enable users to have access over the Internet on such wireless platforms. A WAP browser may work similar to what a web browser does to a regular desktop.

Before WAP was introduced, wireless mobile gadgets were limited in the features and functions that they offer. There were limited opportunities for mobile network providers to offer interactive data services apart from mobile voice and SMS communications. And as the mobile communications industry rapidly grew through the years, the need for more interactive services allowed the WAP to be developed. Because of that, people using mobile gadgets can now send and receive emails through their mobile phones. Mobile phone users can now get news updates, sports results and monitor stock market prices through their portable mobile gadgets. Even downloading music through mobile phones has been made possible, thanks to WAP.

The development of WAP was spurred by the rapid growth of the mobile communications industry. And because more and more people started using mobile phones and other similar mobile gadgets such as PDA's, the need for mobile network providers to offer better services and features became even greater. And one of the most attractive features planned was to allow mobile phones and other such gadgets a means to gain access into cyberspace. But certain issues have to be resolved in order to do this.

One of the issues in trying to bridge the mobile gadget and cyberspace divide concerns the specifications of the mobile gadget themselves. Mobile devices and gadgets operate using a variety of different network platforms. This somehow made it difficult for cyberspace to be connected to such mobile gadgets. Another issue concerns the specifications of the mobile devices themselves.

Generally, mobile gadgets have less powerful CPU's and make use of less memory as well as power. Mobile gadgets also have to contend with having smaller displays as well as a different means to input data. And because the Internet was developed with the more powerful desktop PC in mind, it certainly is a big problem to resolve before both can ever be connected to each other. And thus WAP was born.

The Wireless Application Protocol was proposed in order to provide the standard for the delivery and presentation of wireless information and telephony services on mobile phones and devices that different networks can use. The specifications for WAP was developed using existing Internet standards ad adapted them for use on wireless networks.