Glossary
W-CDMA
Wideband Code Division Multiple Access. A 3G technology for wireless systems based on CDMA technology. See Broadband, UMTS, CDMA, GPRS, TDMA.
W3C
World Wide Web Coalition. The organization that proposes common protocols for the Web.
Wafer
Thin silicon disc. Made out of highly-purified sand which has been refined to produce 99.9999 % pure silicon, a wafer builds the chips foundation. The wafer is the first step in the chip manufacturing process.
WAIS
Wide Area Information Service - An Internet service that allows you to search a large number of specially indexed databases.
WAN
Wide Area Network.
WAP
Wireless Application Protocol. Wireless transmission protocol enables a mobile phone to have the capabilities of a network accessible smart phone.
WAP Forum
Created by Nokia, Ericsson, Motorola and Phone.com (ex-Unwired Planet), this organisation developed a protocol (compatible with the SMS or future GPRS) dedicated to cell phones, and offering advanced data services via Internet, unified voice mail, and access to practical information services. This protocol is not dependant on the used technologies (GSM, DSC 1800, CDMA, etc.).
Watermark
Technique that helps prevent counterfeit. Pattern encoded on magnetic stripe.
Weigand Wire
Magnetic media embedded in cards for access control applications.
WEP
Basic wireless security provided by Wi-Fi. In some instances, WEP may be all a home or small-business user needs to protect wireless data. WEP is available in 40-bit (also called 64-bit), or in 108-bit (also called 128-bit) encryption modes. As 108-bit encryption provides a longer algorithm that takes longer to decode, it can provide better security than basic 40-bit (64-bit) encryption.
WHTI
Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative
Wi-Fi
An interoperability certification for wireless local area network (LAN) products based on IEEE 802.11 standard. Wi-Fi , 802.11, comprises several standards operating in different radio frequencies: 802.11b is a standard for wireless LANs operating in the 2.4 GHz spectrum with a bandwidth of 11 Mbps; 802.11a is a different standard for wireless LANs, and pertains to systems operating in the 5 GHz frequency range with a bandwidth of 54 Mbps. Another standard, 802.11g, is for WLANS operating in the 2.4 GHz frequency but with a bandwidth of 54 Mbps.
WIM
WAP Identity Module.
WIM Card
Wap Identity Module. Microcircuit card similar to the Sim card, designed to allow safe access and transactions from a cell phone to an Internet server via the WAP protocol, or through another protocol, to make an application used in a PKI safer.
WLAN
Wireless LAN. Any wireless LAN technology. The most widespread WLAN technology is 802.11b.
WML
Wireless Markup Language.
Worm
Independent program that replicates from machine to machine across network connections often clogging networks and information systems as it spreads.
WPKI
Wireless Public Key Infrastructure
Write&erase Time
The amount of time it takes to write or erase a page of nonvolatile memory in a smart card. Typically on the order of 5 milliseconds for EEPROM memory.
WSQ
Wavelet Scalar Quantization
WTLS
Wireless Transport Layer.
WWW
World Wide Web.