Using Mobile Web technologies in Social Development

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, March 19 2008

W3C: Leading the Web to its Full Potential

Founded by Web inventor Tim Berners-Lee in 1994 ...

W3C Vision: Universal Web Access: The Web Anywhere, for Everyone, at Anytime, on Everything :

1994: Creation of W3C for standardization and interoperability of Web technologies
1997: Creation of the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI): To make the Web Accessible
2005: Creation of the Mobile Web Initiative (MWI): To Access the Web from Mobile Phones

Since 2006: W3C explores how the Web on mobile phones could be a potential solution to bridge the Digital Divide and leverage Web access in Developing Countries.

	Primary Goal: offer a scalable and affordable platform to develop and deploy eServices: Government Services Education Health Banking Communities services Business ...
(Photo Source: Der Spiegel)

With cheap laptops and mesh networking: One Laptop Per Child?
With Mobile Phones:
- Taking advantage of the existing 2.7+billion of mobile phones
- Taking advantage of the GSM cover (>80% of the world population)

	Successful Mobile Applications Banking NGOs-run SMS based system: e-gov, business (market poll), health, ...
	But few problems: Interoperability problems Discoverability of services limited interaction costly/inappropriate infrastructure no standardized development kit
(Photo Source: Vodafone)

How to make the Mobile Web usable ?
- accessibility of mobile browsers: configuration, interface and interaction...
- accessibility of web content: "natural" interface and interaction...
How to identify the needs in ICT-based services to leverage development ?
- tools to help people and to enhance their way of working or living
How to empower people, build local capacity, and leverage local content authoring ?
What about sustainability ?
...

W3C to launch a new group to in April/May 2008:

Create an inter-disciplinary forum between experts in technology (Web, Mobile), experts in Social Development, experts in sustainability and entrepreneurship, people with grassroot experience (NGO sector), and experts from Developing regions
Identify the challenges of using the Mobile Web in Development projects and establish a roadmap
Develop resources for the community (directory of key actors, repository of informations about mobile infrastructure and device market in Developing Countries,...)

W3C to organize a workshop on the Role of Mobile Technologies in Fostering Social Development

W3C Goal: to make the Web accessible, relevant, usable and useful for under-privileged populations and rural communities
The Mobile Web is the most promising platform for low-cost large scale development, deployment and adoption of ICTs
But what are the specificities (technical, social, cultural,...) of the targeted people and how to take them into account ?
Join the process of gathering the critical mass of experts to start the work