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104World2000 infatuation with this service (more than 2 million SMSs exchanged each month in Europe, with revenuesgenerated by this service already accounting for 10% of earnings for certain operators such as Telia). Beyondseveral new applications in messaging for interpersonal communications (with the unified messagingservices), SMS could support more and more interactive and value added services (m.commerce).Figure 4: Evolution of the number of messages/day on TIM networkSource: TIMIn addition, the extraordinary success of i-mode in Japan, based on a compact version of HTML, as well asPDAs' (Personal Digital Assistants, such as Palm) popularity – are serving to incite both manufacturers andoperators to develop applications and services using a bi-mode WML/C-HTML navigation protocol.In fact, new solutions are emerging in the realm of standardisation. The WAP Forum announced, for mid-2001, a WAP2 version which combines WML and C-HTML, and which is hoped will overcome a number oftechnical issues by enabling, notably, the consultation of web pages on a mobile phone. As for the WorldWide Web Consortium, it is working on an upcoming convergence of HTML, C-HTML, XML and WMLstandards, to create a single X-HTML norm designed to be used on both fixed and mobile terminals.It appears likely that the renewal of terminals (50% of units sold) supporting improved services, will help WAPto at last move into gear during 2001. Hopes rest primarily on improvement of the GSM networks, through theopening of a wireless packet-oriented access mode: GPRS.Mobile Internet's assetsBeyond WAP's awkward first steps, and the many constraints that appear to derive from comparisons with currentweb practices, mobile Internet's success will come about by focusing on its primary assets, i.e.:Personalisation of services. The terminal is an individual and personal tool. In this context, then, it assimilates theID card or passport, with the portfolio or card holder, the planner, the microcam and… the cellular phone. Financialand banking services, personalised health services, advanced communication services (messaging, digital image© IDATE www.idate.fr