W3C Technologies Critical to Mobile Web Success

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is staffing a booth at the 3GSM Congress from 14 to 17 February 2005, at the Palais des Festivals et des Congres in Cannes, France. All attendees now have the opportunity to learn about W3C’s mobile Web efforts in Hall 1, stand A24.

“W3C’s Recommendations have provided the Web with standard technologies that better serve the full range of Web citizens,” explained Tim Berners-Lee, W3C Director. “Our goal is to make Web access from a mobile device as simple, easy and convenient as it is from a desktop device.”

W3C Develops Interoperability Standards for the Mobile Web

Exploring the Web from a mobile device today has yet to fulfill its promise, due to obstacles in interoperability and usability. People often find that their favorite Web sites are difficult to access with a mobile device, if available at all. W3C is currently addressing many challenges of the mobile Web:

– Lower-cost content for mobile devices
– Convenient Web browsing from mobile devices
– Multimodal interaction for mobile Web
– Multimedia and graphics for Multimedia Messaging (MMS)

W3C has groups working on device independence, multimodal Web access and content types for multimedia messaging. Already, mobile-specific standards organizations have adopted numerous W3C Recommendations such as XHTML Basic, SMIL Mobile, Mobile SVG, InkML, CC/PP and VoiceXML 2.0. All of these specifications allow for rich content experiences, and leverage the power and extensibility of the XML standard.

W3C Addresses Mobile Industry Concerns

Supporters of the mobile Web recognize the tremendous business opportunity created by combining mobile and Web technologies. Key mobile services players such as authoring tool vendors, content providers, handset manufacturers, browser vendors and mobile phone operators share the same goal: accessing the Web from a mobile device should be as convenient as from a desktop. Following the tremendous success of the Mobile Web Initiative workshop held two months ago, W3C expects to launch a Mobile Web Initiative in 2005 to focus on increasing the adoption of standardized technologies and identifying best practices for industry.

W3C’s Booth Located in Hall 1 – A24

W3C’s stand will be located in the main hall of the Palais des Festivals: Hall 1 – A24. For more information, please contact Marie-Claire Forgue, or visit the W3C@3GSM05 page.