Mobile...digital...cellular...are phones and cameras springing to mind? Well, of course, but more and more we are seeing these terms associated with networks, PDAs, and home office computing. You may have been wondering how you can apply some of the latest wireless technology to your small business. Before you get started, familiarize yourself with the latest wireless acronyms in this easy-to-digest primer.

• 3G-Third Generation Wireless Service. In the near future, 3G will bring transmission speeds up to 2 Mbps, which allow for high-quality audio and video resolution. Expect to hear this term explode beginning this year.

• 802.11 (a, b, g). 802.11 refers to a family of wireless Local Area Network specifications also known as "Wi-Fi." an over-the-air interface between a wireless client and a base station or between two wireless clients.
  o 802.11 provides 2 Mbps transmission.
  o 802.11a provides up to 54 Mbps transmission.
  o 802.11b provides 11 Mbps transmission.
  o 802.11g provides 20+ Mbps transmission.

• Analog. It is the opposite of digital. Analog refers to information being presented continuously, and is fast becoming an outdated form of cellular communications. Analog phones have lower sound quality and are more vulnerable to interference and eavesdropping than digital.

• BTS-Base Transceiver Station. In mobile communications, the BTS is the networking component from which all signals are transmitted. It is commonly referred to as a "cell phone tower."

• CDMA-Code-Division Multiple Access. Digital cellular technology that does not assign a specific frequency to each user. Instead, every channel uses the full spectrum available.

• Cellular. Refers to communications systems that divide a geographic region into sections or cells. This type of division makes the most use out of a limited number of transmission frequencies.

• CHTML-Compact HTML. This pared-down version of HTML was designed for small information devices, such as cell phones and PDAs.

• Digital. The opposite of analog, digital is either on or off. Digital is becoming the standard for wireless communication. The benefits include less interference and background noise and more secure communications.

• HDML-Handheld Device Markup Language. This is used to format content for Web-enabled mobile phones.

• HomeRF-Home Radio Frequency. Designed for wireless networks in homes, HomeRF networks give priority to multimedia transmissions, providing them with more bandwidth so that audio and video come across more clearly.

• Hotspot. A specific geographic location in which an access point provides public wireless broadband network services. Typically located in such heavily populated places as airports and hotels, hotspots have a short range of access.

• MMS-Multimedia Message Service. Commonly used as a means of communications between mobile phones, MMS enables the transmission of video clips, sound files, and short text messages over wireless networks.

• Mobile IP. A standard that allows mobile device users to move from one network to another and still maintain their unique IP address.

• PCS-Personal Communication Services. Wireless communications services that use the 1900 MHz (1.9 GHz) band rather than the 800 MHz used for cellular, and that use digital technology for transmission and reception.

• PDA-Personal Digital Assistant. A handheld device that combines telephone, Internet, computing, and networking functions.

• Roaming. This refers to the ability to move from one coverage area to another without loss of wireless service.

• SWAP-Shared Wireless Access Protocol. A specification for wireless networking in the home that enables users to freely activate all online and networked data from any location in the home.

• TDMA-Time Division Multiple Access. Divides radio frequencies in a way that allows one frequency to support multiple, simultaneous data channels.

• WAP-Wireless Access Point. A communications network hub for users of wireless devices. They allow you to connect a wireless network to a wired one. WAPs are also important for providing heightened wireless security and for extending a wireless user's physical range of service.

• WASP-Wireless ASP. This provides the same service of a regular ASP but to wireless clients.

• WEP-Wired Equivalent Privacy. A security protocol that encodes and decodes the information transferred over your wireless network. If you are concerned about someone accessing your data, enable WEP.

• Wi-Fi-Wireless Fidelity. A standard set by a wireless industry association called the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA) to ensure that 802.11b networking devices work together, even if they are from different manufacturers.

• WLAN-Wireless Local-Area Network. A type of local-area network that uses high-frequency radio waves rather than wires to communicate.

• WML-Wireless Markup Language. An XML-based markup language, designed for specifying the content and user interfaces of narrowband wireless devices, such as pagers and cellular phones.

• VPN-Virtual Private Network. A means by which certain individuals have secure access to an organization's network. These systems use encryption and other security measures to ensure that only authorized users can gain access and that data cannot be intercepted.

• USB Network Adapter. This plugs into your available USB port and enables you to share data, printers, or high-speed Internet access over your wireless network.