PANs allow proximal devices to share information and resources.
This paper examines wireless technologies appropriate for PANs and reviews promising research in resource discovery and service utilization. Few predicted the importance and ubiquity of cellular phones and the Internet. Cellular phone technology provides mobile voice communication, but mobile workers also need immediate access to digital information. The Internet provides a wealth of digital information, but the interfaces and data links are typically not portable. However, the device could not fit in a pocket and was slow and complex.