8

Wireless, Mobile
Computing, and
Mobile Commerce
 LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Identify advantages and disadvantages of each of the four
main types of wireless transmission media.
2. Explain how businesses can use technology employed by
short-range, medium-range, and long-range networks,
respectively.
3. Provide a specific example of how each of the five major
m-commerce applications can benefit a business.
4. Describe technologies that underlie pervasive computing,
providing examples of how businesses can utilize each
one.
5. Explain how the four major threats to wireless networks
can damage a business.
 CHAPTER OUTLINE
1. Wireless Technologies
2. Wireless Computer Networks and Internet
Access
3. Mobile Computing and Mobile Commerce
4. Pervasive Computing
5. Wireless Security
8.1 Wireless Technologies
wireless devices, such as
1. Wireless Devices
– Smartphones

2. Wireless Transmission Media

– Microwave transmission
– Satellite
– Radio
Examples of today‘s wireless devices
Wireless Devices
• Three Major Advantages for Users
– Small enough to easily carry or wear.
– Sufficient computing power to perform productive
tasks.
– Communicate wirelessly with the Internet & other
devices.

• One Major Disadvantage for Business

– Workers can capture and transmit sensitive
proprietary information
Modern Smartphone Capabilities

• Cellular telephony • E-mail

• Bluetooth • Short Message Service (SMS,
• Wi-Fi sending and receiving short
• Digital camera for images & text messages up to 160
video characters in length)
• Global Positioning System • Instant Messaging
(GPS) • Text messaging
• Organizer • MP3 music player
• Scheduler • Video player
• Address book • Internet access with full-
• Calculator function browser
• QWERTY keyboard
8.2 Wireless Transmission
Media (WTM)
• Wireless Media (aka, broadcast media)
– transmit signals without wires

• Major Types of Wireless Media Channels:

i. Microwave - transmit data via electromagnetic waves.
ii. Satellite
iii. Radio - uses radio-wave frequencies to send data directly
between transmitters & receivers.
iv. Infrared
Table_8-1 Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Three Basic Types of
Telecommunications Satellites

i. Geostationary Earth
Orbit (GEO)

ii. Middle Earth Orbit

(MEO)

iii. Low Earth Orbit (LEO)

Table_8-2 Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO)

MEASAT
• 1996
• first Malaysian privately own satellite
Global Positioning Systems (GPS)

• A wireless system that utilizes satellites to

enable users to determine their position
anywhere on Earth.
• Supported by 24 MEO Satellites
• Uses of GPS
– Navigating, Mapping, Surveying, 911 location
• Three additional GPS Systems
– GLONASS, Russia 2005
– Galileo, European Union 2015
– Beidou, China 2020
Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
TiungSAT-1
• 26 September 2000
• ATSB and UKM
• Earth observations & simple communication

RazakSAT (formerly known as MACSAT)

• 14 July 2009
• high-resolution camera (50kg)
8.2 Wireless Computer Networks
& Internet Access
i. Short-Range Wireless Networks
ii. Medium-Range Wireless Networks
iii. Wide-Area Wireless Networks
i. Short-Range Wireless Networks

• Used for PAN eg:

i. Bluetooth

ii. Ultra-Wideband

iii. Near-Field Communications

ii. Medium-Range Wireless Networks

• Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi)

– Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN)
– Wi-Fi Direct
– MiFi
– Super Wi-Fi (tv frequency)

• Wireless Mesh Networks (wifi-LAN)

iii. Wide-Area Wireless Networks

• Cellular Radio (Cellular telephones)

• Wireless Broadband (or WiMax)
8.3 Mobile Computing and
Mobile Commerce
• Mobile Computing
– Refers to a real-time connection between a
mobile device and other computing
environments, such as the Internet or an
Intranet.

• Mobile Commerce
– Electronic commerce (EC) transactions
conducted in a wireless environment, especially
via the Internet.
Mobile Computing
• Two Major Characteristics
– Mobility
– Broad Reach

• Mobility & Broad Reach Create 5 value-added attributes

1. Ubiquity
2. Convenience
3. Instant connectivity
4. Personalization
5. Localization of Products and Services
 Mobile Commerce
• Also known as “M-commerce”

• Drivers of M-commerce by the following

factors:
1. Widespread availability of mobile devices
2. No need for a PC
3. The “Cell phone culture”
4. Declining prices
5. Bandwidth improvement
[about business]
Brazil Uses Smart
Meters