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WirelessBLUE - tools & resources 
Gary Parkhurst, SVP of Sales and Marketing, ELM Mobile ApproachFive primary needs can be identified that yield demand for mobile commerce services. These five needs stem from the mobility associated with the enabling devices, so the context for each of them revolves around the theme of "anytime, anywhere" accessibility. These needs and the subsequent discussion may also apply to business customers to some degree, but specifics associated with the business segment are not explored in this chapter, as the focus is on the end consumer. These needs are as follows: Connectivity needs: Connectivity provides the basic platform on which wireless communications take place. In a ubiquitous wireless environment that overcomes geographic (i.e., location of the consumer) and compatibility (i.e., interoperability of networks) constraints, consumers become capable of true "anytime, anywhere" communications. Communication needs: mobile consumers communicate with others for business or personal purposes (i.e., with other consumers or personal networks), and their communications may be carried out within information, entertainment, and commerce contexts. Information needs: mobile consumers need access to information that may be static (e.g., Yellow Pages-type directory) or dynamic (e.g., cross-referencing of wireless Web sites for prices or specifications of a particular product). In addition, consumers may be interested in location-specific information (e.g., finding a restaurant based on the user's search criteria and current location). Entertainment needs: Wireless devices can provide users with practical entertainment solutions, such as access to games or leisure information. Commerce needs: Two main elements are required to enable mobile consumers to conduct mobile commerce transactions: presentation of product/service information and a wireless payment mechanism. The value in consumers making payments wirelessly arises from the convenience it offers. For example, mobile users might not require coins/bills to make certain physical purchases (e.g., from vending machines), digital purchases (e.g., purchases on a wireless Web site), or even bill payments (e.g., Mobile Bill Presentment and Payment). TechnologiesPrincipally, the design of software that runs in a mobile device requires that developers combine the rules of thumb applicable in the embedded environment - memory awareness, turned on for an unlimited time, limited performance and resources in general, and security in the sense that the device should never malfunction to produce unanticipated costs or reveal confidential information even if the user behaves in an unanticipated fashion - with features that are needed in the workstation environment - modifiability and adaptability, run-time extensions, and rapid application development. For this combination, the designer must master both hardware-aware and application-level software, as well as the main principles that guide their design. In order to compose designs where all these requirements are satisfied, the designer is bound to use abstraction, which is the most powerful weapon for dealing with complexity. Platforms
Commerce
Bluetooth
Technologies
References: JSR 82 : http://jcp.org/en/jsr/detail?id=82 MiDP 2.0: http://jcp.org/en/jsr/detail?id=118 Java ME: http://java.sun.com/javame/reference/apis.jsp
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