Simply create WAP site from Wirenode

THERE HAVE been some sophisticated tools - such as Wapple - available for a while that help to create WAP compatible sites. Now Wirenode has jumped onto the bandwagon with My Mobile Websites.

The online tools which Wirenode is making available require no programming skills or design capabilities. Write a bit of text; import an image from Google Image Search or your own PC; and you have an instant mobile internet site.

Given the current talk about the Mobile Web 2.0, why should anyone be worried about WAP any more? Easy. There are now billions of people worldwide who possess WAP phones. Plus it's a common technology shared by both GSM and Cdmaone handsets.

It's also an area where the two great areas of the fixed internet - search and advertising - are still up for grabs rather than being dominated by Google.

Hence Wirenode's WAP site creation tools can enable anyone to set up and snatch a slice of the mobile net.

The service is currently in beta but the INQ has tested it out and it definitely works. The company needs to do a bit of work on colour schemes, though, because our test site came out with a blue background - making it difficult to read some text.

One of the widgets Wirenode supplies can add a RSS/Atom feed to the site at the click of a button. Now all you need is for the likes of Bango to provide a short code and then you can send the site address as a WAP link via SMS.

It also proved that Vodafone's Content Control system works well. The INQ deliberately put the word 'casino' on the test site and Bingo! Vodafone blocked it.

You need to own a credit card to unblock such sites in order to prove to Vodafone you're over 18.

Wirenode has not revealed pricing for the service, yet. The INQ suspects it intends to make its money not out of the tools but selling .mobi domain names to customers. µ