DATA APPLICATIONS: NEW PLAYERS TO THE GAME

The wireless world used to be segregated from the wired. It had its own vendors, its own developers and its own carriers. But as true wireless data networks come online, the lines are blurring. There are PC manufacturers making data handsets, enterprise software makers programming wireless applications and big-screen entertainment conglomerates shipping small-format content over the airwaves. Wireless data is starting to attract the biggest names in the computing and content industries, which experts say is the surest sign the technology is finally coming into its own.

“We've reached an acceptable level of network speed and reliability, and these nontraditional wireless companies are confident they can extend their products to the wireless space,” said Perry LaForge, executive director of the CDMA Development Group.

Study after study predicts that wireless gaming will be a multibillion-dollar industry in a few short years. Publishers such as Electronic Arts, Activision and Sega are diving into the world of mobile gaming. And wireless gaming portal Jamdat is offering up a host of popular console games for a few bucks per download on Sprint PCS, Verizon Wireless, AT&T Wireless and Alltel networks.

“At Jamdat, the results have been exponential,” said Mark DeSautels, vice president of wireless Internet development at CTIA. “Twelve months ago they were going nowhere, but now they're making money. And that's with data phones barely penetrating the market. Imagine the potential for uptake when carriers start getting handsets out to people.”

Gaming isn't the only wireless application getting new scrutiny from the computing old-world. Outlook and Excel aren't just for PCs anymore; Microsoft is miniaturizing most of its critical professional applications for its new PocketPC and SmartPhone platforms, and other software developers are following suit.

E-mail, however, is leading the charge. Studies show that business e-mail attracted more than 1 million users last year, and those numbers are expected to skyrocket as enterprises start integrating mobile devices into their networks.

But perhaps the most popular wireless application will be the most obvious of them all. Industry experts are all in agreement that digital photos may be wireless data's biggest attraction for years to come, for the simple reason that people like to take photos and share them with their friends. Ever since the carriers launched their first high-speed networks last year, they have pushed digital photography as a key selling point.

“The technology is a bit cumbersome now — even the carriers will tell you,” DeSautels said. “But once it's simplified, we're going to see an explosion in picture messaging.”