Web Portals for Mobile Devices Arcadia’s Experience

Web Portals for Mobile Devices

Arcadia’s Experience

© Copyright 1993-2006 Arcadia Inc., e-mail: [email protected]

AUGUST 2006AUGUST 2006

Review specifics of web applications for mobile devices

Share our experience in development of mobile web portals

Reveal problems of development and testing of complex mobile web applications

Make conclusions about progress and future trends in this area

Goals and Tasks



Difficulty of entering long texts – poor keyboard

Problems of displaying big sets of information – small screen

Poor navigation: no mouse

Low reliability of connection – dependence on batteries charge and area of coverage

High dependence on device/browser capabilities: too many different mobile devices

Mobile Applications Specifics



Usually consists of:Logging to the systemConfiguration of self user settings: language, change password, etc.

(limited abilities)Navigation by the application functionality (links, icons)Functionality depending on the system specifics (textboxes,

checkboxes, radio buttons)Standard functionality of many systems – reading of inner news,

sending messages to inner users, etc.

Uses all abilities of mobile browsers Should be considered as an extension of full-

functional (desktop) web system Works on audience accumulation, advertising

Mobile Web Portal



Development for mobile devices: Palm Pilot (Web Clipping Applications) Pocket PC Cellular phones (both WAP and HTML browsers)

5 years ago American customer - real estate system WML 1.0 for cellular phones WCA for Palm OS Development technologies: ASP, VB, MS SQL

Present time Norwegian customer – education system Should work on both desktop and mobile browsers One web portal for wide range of mobile devices, including Web-enabled cell

phones, pagers, and personal digital assistants (PDAs) – WML, HTML Development technologies: ASP.NET C# Mobile Web Forms, MySQL

Arcadia’s Experience


AUGUST 2006AUGUST 2006ASP.NET Adaptive Controls



5 years ago Very poor browsers – small applications One device – one application. Any regular technologies can be used

Present time Many different browsers – complex applications (support of old devices) Many devices – one application. Applying special technologies is required Additional level of presentation (ASP.NET Mobile Web controls / adapters) Nevertheless developers should know WML1.0, WML1.1, WML2.0, XHTML,

CHTML, MyPalm, Pocket IE, J-Phone, etc. in addition to the ASP.NET Mobile experience

Biggest problem – to get actual settings of mobile devices like screen size, cookies support, colors support, tables support, device model name, etc.

The only information we have is whether the browser is HTML or WAP Different behavior of different mobile browsers Many errors (not working breaks, unexpected messages, etc.) There is no easy way to get the unique code of a cell phone from a web

application Specifics of mobile applications require additional knowledge in Mobile

Usability area from the developers

Development Specifics and Problems



Testing on both desktop and mobile browsers Too few simulators of phones and browsers Necessity to buy mobile devices and pay for the

traffic – expensive Server with external IP is required (for access from

the internet) Impossible to use automatic testing systems

Problems of Testing



Growth of requirements to mobile web applications Development of mobile portals does not become

easier despite of new technologies Mobile software (browsers) is not oriented on

support of complex web application WAP should die – the sooner the better

Conclusions

Documents

Web Portals for Mobile Devices Arcadia’s Experience