Subject: Mobile Computing

Difficulty: Medium

Marks: 8 Marks

There are many applications suitable for GPRS. Many of them are of generic types, some are specific to GPRS.

Generic applications are applications like information services, internet access, email, web browsing, which are very useful while mobile. Due to higher bandwidth, mobile Internet Browsing will be better suited to GPRS.

GPRS Specific Applications:

Chat: Groups of like minded people use chat services as a means to communicate and discuss matters of common interest. GPRS offers by integrating Internet chat and wireless chat using SMS and WAP.

Multimedia Service: Multimedia objects like photographs, pictures, postcards, greeting cards and presentations, static web pages can be sent and received over the mobile network.

Virtual Private Network: GPRS network can be used to offer VPN services. Many blank ATM machines are VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) to connect the ATM system with the banks server.

Personal Information Management: Personal diary, address book, appointments, engagements etc. Are very useful for a mobile individual.

Vehicle Positioning: This application integrates GPS (Global Positioning System) that tell people where they are. Vehicle Positioning system can be used to deliver several services including remote vehicle diagnostics, stolen vehicle tracking. It can be used in logistics industry.

Limitations of GPRS:

There are some limitations with GPRS which can be summarized as:

Limited Cell Capacity for All Users: Only limited radio resources can be deployed for different uses. Both Voice and GPRS calls use the same network resources.

Speed Lower in Reality: Achieving the theoretical maximum GPRS data transmission speed of 172.2 kbps would require a single user taking over all eight time slots without any error protection.

Support of GPRS Mobile Terminate Connection for a mobile server not supported: As of date, a GPRS terminal can only act as a client device. There are many services for which server has to be mobile.