WAP refers to a wide range of technologies and protocols, all related to mobile Internet functionality. This functionality has roots dating back to the mid 1990s. At that time, several vendors were working on the mobile Internet problem as mobile device sales skyrocketed, and several competing technologies emerged:

Nokia's Narrow Band Sockets (NBS) and Tagged Text Markup Language (TTML)
Ericsson's Intelligent Terminal Transfer Protocol (ITTP)
Unwired Planet's Handheld Device Markup Language (HDML)
Each technology had its own purpose, but some overlapped with others in various areas. This diversity threatened to fragment the wireless industry along provider lines. In mid 1997, the WAP Forum was founded to aid in communication among the developers and to spur a common set of protocols and technologies. In the same year, the industry took another step forward with the formation of the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA), which combined several distinct development and standards bodies into one.