In Chapter 13 we discussed the future of wireless data technologies, applications, and services. We began our journey with the discussion of the impact of globalization on wireless industry and businesses and ended the conversation by taking a look at the promise of technologies that will enable future wireless data applications and services that will capture our imagination and make our lives simpler. Along the way, we discussed a wide variety of topics to cover different aspects of the wireless data industry. We hope we were able to provide you with discussion on a spectrum of topics and issues that will help you appreciate both the complexity and the promise of wireless data. As was the purpose of the book, we discussed the trends, technologies, business models from a global angle as we have discovered – geography matters, it matters a great deal. The wireless data offerings from the carriers and the developers need to be customized and tailored to individuals. There must be continuous focus on this mantra to be successful. Over the past few chapters, we have talked quite a bit about the future of the industry. Let us continue that discussion in this chapter by analyzing various possible scenarios for wireless data for rest of the decade (2003–2010).

As described in previous chapters, the size of the wireless market for voice services has been approaching saturation levels in several developed countries, so the carriers need to create new revenue streams in addition to existing voice services.