GPRS AND WEBSITES
By: Jan Mentz

GPRS is one of the latest technologies today that contributes to enhancing communication across the globe. More and more web sites are developed to incorporate this technology and will certainly become more prominent in the future.

What is GPRS?

GPRS stands for General Packet Radio Service and is the technology used for the transfer of information (data) over wireless (cellular) networks. It is GPRS technology that enables cellular phones, PDA’s (Personal Digital Assistants) and mini computers to access web sites, e-mail and other data related information sources.

Enabling web site access

There are three ways in which web sites can be enabled so that they can be accessed by mobile devices:

1.Traditional web sites

Normal web sites can be accessed by mobile devices but there are a number of problems associated with this:

  • Firstly, these sites are not optimised for mobile browsing and therefore take a long time to download.
  • Secondly, interfacing (i.e., what you see then you look at the screen such as words, pictures, buttons that let you do things) is cumbersome since the interface was originally designed for use with a full computer together with its keyboard and mouse.
  • Thirdly, the browsers on mobile devices have not been developed to handle errors in the web site code.

2. XHTML web sites

They're similar to a normal web site and can display the same designs. These sites are, however, more beneficial for mobile devices as they encompass a stricter encoding method. This feature aids in overcoming the problem with error handling on the site.
Although these sites are more favourable for mobile devices than normal sites, a problem still exists in that different cellular phones use different display methods and although certain mobile browsers are able to adapt the content for mobile devices, this cannot be done with all mobile browsers.

3.WAP enabled web sites

These sites are specifically created for mobile devices. They are able to improve the loading time as well as the overall appearance of the interface. Almost all mobile browsers support WML and WAP and therefore these sites have the ability to produce the best view of the information independent of the device used.

Why use GPRS sites?

The following are reasons why it would be beneficial to your organisation to make use of GPRS sites in the future:

  • Users do not have to be near a computer to access information
  • A wider audience can be reached as generally more people have cellular phones in comparison to those who have computers
  • Mobile devices will become more popular in the future for conducting business transactions, marketing online and retrieving information from almost any place and at any time.

The cost of using GPRS

When using GPRS you only pay for sending and receiving data and not for the amount of time it takes you to surf the Net. This is what makes it affordable. Data is measured in bytes. In one Kilobyte (KB) there are just over a thousand bytes and in one Megabyte (MB) there are just over a thousand Kilobytes. One would therefore work out how much you are spending by totalling the number of bytes you send and receive. Different bundles are also available which makes this service more cost effective (Vodacom, 2005).

How to build a GPRS enabled web site for your organisation

Intoweb is a company of the future and we are able to effectively create a GPRS web site for your organisation. We are able to once again provide you with the latest technology that will provide your company with many communication benefits.

Conclusion

GPRS technology is one of the latest communication developments. This technology presents a further competitive advantage, because it is predicted that organisations that do not consider implementing this technology in the future could get “left behind” by their competitors who do.

For further information on how your company can continue to keep up with the latest communication technology through incorporating a GPRS web site feel free to contact us at +27 12 348 5320 or send us an e-mail to

References

Vodacom. 2005. GPRS Packages. Available from: http://www.vodacom.co.za/packages/gprs/datapackages_gprs_cost.aspx