1. Wireless, Mobile Computing and Mobile Commerce
CHAPTER 8
Wireless, Mobile Computing and Mobile Commerce

2. CHAPTER OUTLINE 8.1 Wireless Technologies
8.2 Wireless Computer Networks and Internet Access
8.3 Mobile Computing and Mobile Commerce
8.4 Pervasive Computing
8.5 Wireless Security

3. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Describe the four main types of wireless transmission media, and identify at least one advantage and one disadvantage of each type.
2. Discuss the basic purposes of short-range, medium-range, and long-range networks, and explain how businesses can use at least one technology employed by each type of network.

4. LEARNING OBJECTIVES (continued)
3. Discuss the five major m-commerce applications, and provide a specific example of how each application can benefit a business.
4. Define pervasive computing, describe two technologies that underlie this technology, and provide at least one example of how a business can utilize each one.
5. Identify the four major threats to wireless networks, and explain, with examples, how each one can damage a business.

5. Chapter Opening Case: The Battle for the Mobile Wallet
Source: Slavoljub Pantelic/ Shutterstock

6. 8.1 Wireless Technologies
© ecco/Shutterstock
© Oleksiy Makymenko/Alamy
Wireless devices: are small enough to easily carry or wear, have sufficient computing power to
perform productive tasks and can communicate wirelessly with the Internet and other devices.
© Såndor Kelemen/iStockphoto
© PhotoEdit/Alamy

7. Capabilities of Wireless Devices
Cellular telephony access Bluetooth Short message service Wi-Fi Instant messaging Digital camera Text messaging Global positioning system Organizer MP2 music player Scheduler Video player Address book Internet access Calculator QWERTY keyboard

8. History of the Cell Phone
Check out the history of the cell phone in images
Clicking on the link above will take you to the photo essay on cell phones.

9. Wireless Transmission Media
Microwave Transmission
Satellite transmission
Geostationary Orbit (GEO)
Middle Earth Orbit (MEO)
Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
Global Positioning System (GPS)
Internet Over Satellite (IOS)
Source: © Pearl Bucknall/
Age Fotostock America, Inc.)
Microwave transmission systems are widely used for high-volume, long-distance, point-to-point communication. Point-to-point has two characteristics: first, the transmitter and receiver must be in
view of each other (called line-of-sight); and second, the transmission itself must be tightly directed
from transmitter to receiver.
Satellite transmission systems make use of communication satellites; three types of satellites,
each in a different orbit:
Geostationary (GEO): orbits 22,300 miles directly above the equator and maintains a relatively
fixed position in relation to a dish on earth; excellent for TV signals.
Medium-earth-orbit (MEO): are located 6,000 miles above the earth’s surface and move; used
for the GPS system.
Low-earth-orbit (LEO): are 400 to 700 miles above the surface, so they move much faster with
respect to a point on the earth’s surface; require many to cover the earth.
Global Positioning System: a wireless system that uses MEO satellites to enable users to determine
their position anywhere on the earth.
Internet over satellite: allows users to access the Internet via GEO satellites from a dish mounted
on the side of their homes.

10. Satellite Footprint Comparison
Global Star is the leading provider of satellite phone service with its
low-earth orbit (LEO) constellation of satellites.
Source: Drawn by Kelly Rainer

11. How the Global Positioning System Works
© Toh Kheng Ho/Age Fotostock America, Inc.

12. GPS Systems
In-dash GPS system
Smart phone and GPS system

13. Other GPS Russian GLONASS European Union GPS China Beidou GPS
© Toh Kheng Ho/Age Fotostock America, Inc.
China Beidou GPS

14. Wireless Transmission Media (continued)
Radio
Satellite Radio
Radio transmission uses radio-wave frequencies to send data directly between transmitters
and receivers.
Satellite radio (digital radio) offers uninterrupted, near CD-quality music that is beamed to
your radio from space. XM satellite radio and Sirius have agreed to merge as of mid-2007.
© lim cheng en/Age Fotostock America, Inc.

15. Infrared A test to see if your TV remote control is working
Infrared light is red light that is not commonly visible to human eyes; common uses are in
remote control units for TVs, VCRs, DVDs, CD players.
You can use the digital camera on your cell phone to see if your TV remote control is
working. Digital cameras are sensitive to infrared light, so if you point your TV
remote control at your cell phone, its digital camera will pick up the infrared beam
if the remote is working. (As in the image above.)
© Sergej Razvodovskij/Age Fotostock America, Inc.

16. 8.2 Wireless Computer Networks and Internet Access
Short range wireless networks
Medium range wireless networks
Wide area wireless networks
Short-range wireless networks generally have a range of 100 feet or less.
Medium-range wireless networks are the familiar wireless local area networks (WLANs).
The most common type of medium-range wireless network is Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi).
Wide-area wireless networks connect users to each other and to the Internet over
geographically dispersed distances.

17. Short Range Wireless Networks
Bluetooth
Ultra-wideband
Near-field Communications
Bluetooth: Can link up to eight devices within a 30-foot area and transmit up to 2.1 megabits
per second.
Ultra-wideband: high-bandwidth wireless technology with transmission speeds in excess
of 100 megabits per second.
Near-field Communications: shortest range of any wireless network; designed to be embedded
in mobile devices such as cell phones and credit cards.
Clicking on the Bluetooth and Time Domain images above will take you to the respective Web pages.
Source: © Pearl Bucknall/
Age Fotostock America, Inc.)

18. Bluetooth
© ZOONAR GMBH LBRF/Age Fotostock America, Inc.

19. Ultra-Wideband (UWB)
Ultra-wideband has many uses as you can see at the TimeDomain Web site.
This article discusses the use of UWB in fire-fighting.
Ultra-wideband technology enables firefighters to detect people behind walls,
or in smoke-filled environments with zero visibility.

20. Near-Field Communications in action
Near-field communications (NFC) is the enabling technology behind (a) contactless payments with credit cards
and (b) the substitution of a cell phone for a credit card (the wave of the future).
Frederic Lucano/Stone/Getty Images, Inc.

21. Medium Range Wireless Networks
Wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi)
Wireless access point
Hotspot
Wireless network interface card
Wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi): used in wireless local area networks
Wireless access point: a transmitter with an antenna
Hotspot: a geographical perimeter with in which a wireless access point provides wireless access for users
Wireless network interface card: enables mobile devices to communicate wirelessly.
Source: Lane Oatey/Getty Images,
Inc.

22. A Wi-Fi Hotspot
Wi-Fi hotspots are three-dimensional and thus, roughly spherical, depending on buildings, trees, etc.
that weaken the signal.
The irregularity of the hotspot is a result of intervening buildings, trees, etc.
MiFi is a small, portable, wireless device that provides users with a permanent Wi-Fi hotspot
wherever they go.
© STOCKBROKERXTRA/Age Fotostock America, Inc.

23. Wi-Fi at Starbucks
@ Marianna Day Massey/Zuma Press

24. Wireless Mesh Networks
Wireless mesh networks use multiple Wi-Fi access points to create a wide-area network
that can be very large.
Mesh networks are essentially a series of interconnected local area networks.
The image shows a wireless mesh network across a section of a city.

25. Wide-Area Wireless Networks
Cellular Radio
1st Generation
2nd Generation
2.5 Generation
3rd Generation (3G)
4th Generation (4G)
Wireless Broadband or WiMax
Cellular Radio: use radio waves to provide two-way communication
1st Generation: analog signals and low bandwidth
2nd Generation: digital signals for voice and data communication up to 10 Kbps
2.5 Generation: digital voice and data communication up to 144 Kbps
3rd Generation: digital voice and data communication up to 384 Kbps when device
is moving at walking pace; 128 Kbps when moving in car; and 2Mbps when device is stationary
4th Generation: 100 Mbps for high- mobility communications and 1Gbps for low-mobility applications.
Wireless Broadband or WiMax: access range up to 31 miles and data-transfer rate up to 75 Mbps

26. Cellular Radio Network

27. 8.3 Mobile Computing and Mobile Commerce
Mobility
Broad reach
Mobile computing: refers to real-time, wireless connection between a mobile device
and other computing environments, such as the Internet and an intranet.
Mobility: users carry a mobile device and can initiate a real-time contact with other systems from wherever they happen to be.
Broad reach: users can be reached instantly when they carry an open mobile device.
© Såndor Kelemen/iStockphoto

28. Mobile Computing Five value-added attributes of mobile computing:
Ubiquity
Convenience
Instant connectivity
Personalization
Localization of products and services
Ubiquity: mobile device can provide information and communications regardless of user’s location.
Convenience and Instant Connectivity: Internet-enabled mobile device makes it easy and fast to
access the Web, intranets, and other mobile devices without booting up a PC or placing a call.
Personalization: information can be customized and sent to individual consumers (e.g., as a
short message service).
Localization of products and services: knowing a user’s location helps companies advertise
their products and services.

29. Mobile Commerce
The development of m-commerce is driven by the following factors:
Widespread availability of mobile devices
No need for a PC
The “Cell phone culture”
Declining prices
Bandwidth improvement
Mobile commerce refers to electronic commerce transactions that are conducted in a
wireless environment, especially via the Internet.

30. Mobile Commerce Applications
Location-Based Applications and Services Financial Services Intrabusiness Applications Accessing Information Telemetry Applications

31. Location-Based Applications
Shopping from Wireless Devices
Location-based Advertising
Location-based Services
Shopping from Wireless Devices – online vendors allow customers to shop from wireless devices.
Location-based Advertising is when marketers know the current locations and preferences of
mobile users, they can send user-specific advertising messages to wireless devices about nearby
shops, malls and restaurants.
Location-based Services provide information to customers about local services and conditions via
cell phones.

32. Shopping from Wireless Devices
Source: Don Farrall/Photodisc/Getty Images, Inc.

33. Using Google Earth for Location-Based Services
Google Earth provides symbols that include: icons for photographs taken of the area,
icons for information about the area, and icons for specific businesses that are in
the area and are of interest to the user.
© Adam Radosavljevic/Age Fotostock America, Inc.

34. Mobile Commerce Applications
Financial Services
Wireless Electronic Payment System
Mobile Banking
Financial Services: include banking, wireless payments, micropayments, wireless wallets, bill-payment services, brokerage services, and money transfers.
Mobile Banking: Many banks now offer access to financial & account information, the ability to transfer funds, and receive alerts on digital cell phones, smart phones, and PDAs.
Wireless Electronic Payment Systems: these systems transfer mobile phones into secure, self-contained purchasing tools capable of instantly authorizing payments over the cellular network.
Micropayments: electronic payments for small purchase amounts (generally less than $10).
Mobile (Wireless) Wallets: technologies that allow cardholders to make purchases with a single click from their mobile devices.
Wireless Bill Payments: Services provided by banking institutions that allow customers to pay their bills directly from their cell phones.
Frederic Lucano/Stone/Getty Images, Inc.

35. Financial Services (continued)
Wireless Bill Payments
Mobile Wallet
Micropayments
Source: Mike Clarke/AFP/GettyImages/NewsCom

36. Intrabusiness Applications
Accessing Information
Mobile Portal
Voice Portal
Mobile Portal: aggregates and provides content and services for mobile users that include news, sports, , entertainment, travel and restaurant information; community services; and stock trading.
Voice Portal: is a Web site with an audio interface and can also be accessed through a standard phone or cell phone.
© Sergey/Age Fotostock America, Inc.

37. Telemetry Examples of Telemetry Applications Medicine Automobiles
Find My iPhone
Telemetry is the wireless transmission and receipt of data gathered from remote sensors.

38. Telemedicine Telemedicine predicted in 1924
Telemedicine is the use of modern telecommunications and information technologies to provide
clinical care to individuals located at a distance and for the transmission of information to provide
that care.
As we see from the Radio news in 1924, the idea of telemedicine has been around for quite a while.
Telemedicine predicted in 1924

39. Automotive Telemetry
Source: Media Bakery

40. 8.4 Pervasive Computing Radio frequency identification (RFID)
Wireless sensor networks (WSNs)
Pervasive Computing (Ubiquitous computing) is invisible “everywhere computing” that is
embedded in the objects around us – the floors, the lights, our cars, washing machine, microwave
oven, cell phones, clothes, and so on. (e.g., smart home, smart appliances)
Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology allows manufacturers to attach tags with
antennas and computer chips on goods and then track their movement through radio
signals.
Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are networks of interconnected, battery-powered, wireless
sensors that are placed into the physical environment.

41. Anatomy of a Bar Code RFID was developed to replace bar codes.
Source: Media Bakery

42. QR Codes
© Patrick Duinkerke/iStockphoto

43. Various RFID Tags
© raphotography/iStockphoto

44. Small RFID Reader and Tag
See video
© Ecken, Dominique/ Keystone Pressedienst/Zuma Press
Coming soon to a supermarket near you

45. 8.5 Wireless Security Four major threats Rogue access point
War driving
Eavesdropping
RF (Radio frequency) jamming
© Sebastian/AgeFotostock America, Inc.
Rogue access point: is an unauthorized access point to a wireless network.
War driving: is the act of locating WLANs while driving around a city or elsewhere.
Eavesdropping: refers to efforts by unauthorized users to try to access data traveling over
wireless networks.
RF (Radio frequency) jamming: is when a person or a device intentionally or unintentionally
interferes with your wireless network transmissions.

46. Chapter Closing Case
The Problem
The Solution
The Results