WAP was the quintessential technological letdown. Back in 2000, when hopes for mobile commerce (m-commerce, remember that?) were high, WAP (Wireless Access Protocol) was the browser technology that would transform European mobile phones into all-in-one Internet devices on which you could play games, send and receive e-mail, buy and sell stocks and locate restaurants in foreign cities. But almost immediately upon release, WAP bombed. Networks were so slow that anyone trying to find that French bistro in Copenhagen would have done better just circling the entire city. It was expensive, too; users couldn't talk and WAP at the same time; and a lack of standardization prevented content suppliers from developing material that ran smoothly across all networks and phones.

But that was then. Now WAP is back. The arrival of faster mobile networks and flashy handsets with colorful displays means that the once-maligned technology currently underpins fancy services like Vodafone Live, Orange World and O2 Active that allow users to download everything from Simpsons ring tones to sports scores to Lord of the Rings games. London-based research firm ARC Group predicts that the market for worldwide mobile services will surge to $126 billion by 2008 — and about $30 billion of

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nginx/1.14.0 (Ubuntu) that will be WAP-based. "When WAP was first launched it was slow and there was no content, but it has bounced back now, and is far more interesting to Joe Public," says ARC Group analyst David McQueen.

Today, users can access WAP services on many phones by simply pushing a button on the keypad. Some Vodafone and Orange handsets, for instance, have Vodafone Live and Orange World keys that bring up a screenful of options, such as entertainment or headlines. This represents a giant leap forward in user-friendliness; the first time around, WAP was much harder to operate, and the black-and-white screens took the shine off the snazziest features. The mismatch between hype and reality infuriated customers, so now mobile operators have banned the term WAP from their marketing pitches and press releases. "Something that had become a dirty word is now actually used by people on a daily basis," says Nokia ceo Jorma Ollila. Instead, the focus is on service and ease of use. "It's not about the technology, it's about what it can do for you," says Orange chief executive Sol Trujillo.

And what WAP can do for you is pretty amazing. With the growing popularity among younger users of downloading ring tones, playing games and checking sport scores, WAP is becoming a necessity. Telecom firms are falling in love with WAP again because it's exactly these kinds of services that ratchet up the average amount consumers spend each month. (Of course, operators would dearly love to get users to send more picture messages; although camera phones are selling well, people are not yet sending picture messages in any volume, says Vodafone chief executive Arun Sarin.) Still, the typical Vodafone Live customer, for example, shells out 7% more than the company's other users, according to the firm's global-marketing director, Guy Laurence. Looks like the flop is finally flipping.

• MARK HALPER
• Why WAP, mobile's big flop, is back in business