ABSTRACT
Aside from products that are specifically wireless, such as PDAs and smartphones, there are many more that are wireless-enabled via the inclusion of a wireless communication unit. These units are known as ‘embedded’ wireless devices, since they are included ‘under the skin’ of the product. Typically, they allow short-range data communications, and could perform functions of cable replacement in an office environment. Industry sources forecast that by 2003, the number of wireless computing devices will exceed the population of our planet – estimated at 6 billion. This figure is predicted to consist of a mixture of: around 300 million PDAs; approximately 2 billion consumer electronic devices such as wireless phones, pagers, and set top boxes; and 5 billion additional everyday devices like vending machines, refrigerators, and washing machines embedded with chips connected the Internet (IBM Pervasive Computing, 2000).
