Despite their phenomenal global growth, wireless technologies have progressed very differently geographically. Diverse technologies (i-mode in Japan, SMS in Europe, PDAs and Blackberry in North America) imply that wireless applications and services are often unique to the culture and business models of a region. Supplemented by examples, case studies and interviews with industry luminaries, Chetan Sharma and Yasuhisa Nakamura identify key factors behind the success or failure of different strategies and provide insights into how to match wireless technology to global markets.