Bluetooth
The code name for a new wireless technology being developed by Ericsson Inc., Intel Corp., Nokia Corp., Toshiba and IBM. The technology enables data connections between electronic devices such as desktop computers, wireless phones, electronic organizers and printers in the 2.4 GHz range. Bluetooth depends on mobile devices equipped with a chip for sending and receiving information. The founding members listed above have been joined in development by 700+ members including Compaq, Dell, Motorola, Qualcomm, BMW and Casio.

CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access)
A spread spectrum approach to digital transmission. With CDMA, each conversation is digitized and then tagged with a code. The mobile phone is then instructed to decipher only a particular code to pluck the right conversation off the air. The process can be compared in some ways to an English-speaking person picking out in a crowded room of French speakers the only other person who is speaking English.

EDGE (Enhanced Data GSM Environment)
EDGE is a faster version of GSM wireless service. EDGE enables data to be delivered at rates up to 384 Kbps on a broadband. The standard is based on the GSM standard and uses TDMA multiplexing technology.

GPRS (General Packet Radio Service)
A GSM data transmission technique that does not set up a continuous channel from a portable terminal for the transmission and reception of data, but transmits and receives data in packets. It makes very efficient use of available radio spectrum, and users pay only for the volume of data sent and received.

GPS (Global Positioning System)
A series of 24 geosynchronous satellites that continuously transmit their position. Used in personal tracking, navigation and automatic vehicle location technologies.

GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications)
A digital cellular or PCS network used throughout the world.

Second-and-a-half generation (2.5G) Wireless Services
The latest technology in wireless communications, 2.5G is considered an interim generation that extends 2G systems (i.e. GSM, CDMA) by adding features such as packet-switched connection and enhanced data rates. These improvements will increase existing wireless data access speeds up to 40 times previous levels. 2.5G networks include GPRS and EDGE technologies which support WAP, MMS, SMS mobile games, and search and directory.

WAP (Wireless Application Protocol)
WAP is an open, global specification that allows users to access information instantly via handheld wireless devices such as mobile phones, pagers, two-way radios, smartphones and communicators. WAP supports most wireless networks. These include CDPD, CDMA, GSM, PDC, PHS, TDMA, FLEX, ReFLEX, iDEN, TETRA, DECT, DataTAC, and Mobitex. WAP is supported by all operating systems. Ones specifically engineered for handheld devices include PalmOS, EPOC, Windows CE, FLEXOS, OS/9, and JavaOS. Because WAP is fairly new, it is not a formal standard yet. It is still an initiative that was started by Unwired Planet, Motorola, Nokia, and Ericsson.

Wireless
Using the radio-frequency spectrum for transmitting

Wireless Internet
An RF-based service that provides access Internet e-mail and/or the World Wide Web.

Wireless IP
The packet data protocol standard for sending wireless data over the Internet.

Wireless LAN (Local Area Network)
Using radio frequency (RF) technology, wireless LANs or WLANs transmit and receive data over the air, minimizing the need for wired connections. Thus, wireless LANs combine data connectivity with user mobility. WLANs are essentially networks that allow the transmission of data and the ability to share resources, such as printers, without the need to physically connect each node, or computer, with wires. Wireless LANs offer the productivity, convenience, and cost advantages over traditional wired networks.

802.11a
A successor to 802.11b, 802.11a is designed for much faster networks. It operates in the 5-GHz radio band frequency and supports a maximum theoretical data rate of 54 Mbps. At the higher frequencies, there is less chance of interference from other devices which makes it well suited for indoor office environments. In a typical office environment, its maximum range is 50 meters (150 feet) at the lowest speed, but at higher speed, the range is less than 25 meters (75 feet). WLAN products based on 802.11a technology are rapidly coming to market, making them more affordable and widely available.

802.11b (Wi-Fi)
Nearly all wireless networks today utilize this technology. It has broad applicability, range and versatility, and brings virtually unrestricted mobile connectivity. It is a standard for 11-Mbps Ethernet networks and uses radio frequencies in the 2.4GHz spectrum. Benefits include: no need for cables and allows for people to stay connected while on the move or in transit.

802.11g
The 802.11 task force is still developing 802.11g, and it is expected to be ratified as a standard for wireless local area networks as of late 2003. 802.11g offers wireless transmission over relatively short distances at up to 54 Mbps per second compared with the 11 Mbps per second of the 802.11b (Wi-Fi) standard. 802.11g operates in the 2.4 GHz range and has backward compatibility with 802.11b. This means the two devices will also be able to coexist in the same network.

802.16 Or WirelessMAN (Wireless Metropolitan Area Networks)
Designed for fixed point, line-of-sight transmissions using high frequency radios. A WirelessMAN setup centers on a base station, which is a powerful transmitter mounted on a hill, tower or building and is connected to a public network with a fiber-optic or microwave link. It can handle Ethernet and Internet transmissions, data, voice and digital cable with frequencies from 2 to 10 GHz.