Mobile-transparent access to web services - acceptance of users and service providers

The number and variety of mobile Internet devices is growing rapidly. It is no longer enough to design web services for generic mobile access; the services also have to adapt to different contexts of use. We have studied an approach where the users of different WAP phones can transparently access the same web services as they use on their PCs. We have evaluated the user acceptance of this solution in field trials with users and in interviews with service providers. The results suggest that there is a need for cross-media services that the users can access with different devices depending on their current context of use. Mobile devices are above all personal communication devices. More attention should be paid to providing personally selected contents and new kinds of interactive services where the users can participate and communicate with other people.