I was just wondering what e-merge is? - John, by e-mail

E-merge is a service provided by Eircell (www.e-merge.ie). It is a so-called "mobile portal". Considered by the company to be one of its flagship products, e-merge enables customers to send and receive e-mails from Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) enabled mobile phones and desktop computers.

It also allows them to receive a text message when new mail arrives and get the latest news and sports results as they happen. The news and sport content are provided by the Irish Times website, www.ireland.com.

Registered e-merge users can have a free e-merge e-mail address and free text notification of new e-mail direct to the users 087 mobile phone. As well, they can listen and reply to e-mails through e-trieve, a new service that reads your emails to you over your mobile phone, and send 30 free text messages every month from the web.

However, e-merge is not without its problems. In August Eircell admitted there had been a security breach. The effect of this was that two customers were logged into each other's accounts, thus gaining access to e-mail facilities and account IDs. One of the two did not realise he was connected to the wrong account and sent several e-mails from the other party's email address.

On a related topic, there have been many questions asking what exactly Wireless Application Protocol is. The WAP forum website (www.wapforum.com) defines it as "the de facto worldwide standard for providing Internet communications and advanced telephony services on digital mobile phones, pagers, personal digital assistants and other wireless terminals".

It also says that WAP is an "open, global specification that empowers mobile users with wireless devices to easily access and interact with information and services instantly".

All of this makes it sound wonderful, the answer to everyone's technological dreams, but the reality is somewhat different. Many people have found that, though the service is relatively easy to use, it has been of no great benefit to them.

A lot of people already using WAP are the kind who will always adapt to innovations first (they were undoubtedly the first on their street to have a CD player). The rest of us, meanwhile, are just waiting for the costs to come down and the technology to improve: WAP - The Next Generation is not far away.

Send your WebWorld queries to pcollins@irishtimes.com or by post to Padraig Collins, The Irish Times New Media, 4th Floor, Ballast House, Aston Quay, Dublin 2.