W3C Issues Best Practices to Create Smarter Mobile Web Applications

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http://www.w3.org/ -- 14 December 2010 -- W3C today announced a new standard that will make it easier for developers and content providers to create dynamic mobile Web applications. The Mobile Web Application Best Practices, published as a W3C Recommendation, offers practical advice from many mobile Web stakeholders for the easy development and the deployment of mobile Web applications that work across many platforms.

“I am very excited about this document, which I've already used myself to ensure that the W3C Cheat Sheet, a mobile Web application, works not just on mobile devices, but on all devices,” said Dominique Hazaël-Massieux, W3C Mobile Web Initiative Lead. “These guidelines include sound advice from real-world Web apps developers, telcos, and browser vendors.”

Mobile Web Applications Have a Bright Future

Application designers value the ability to write code once and have it work in multiple environments. The rapid growth of the market for mobile applications has increased the appeal of using the Web as development platform on these devices as well; that point is made in a white paper from a GIA analyst. Web applications are already replacing native applications in many computers, and we expect a similar trend on mobile devices in the near future since the Web platform addresses the fragmentation issues so familiar to mobile developers. The Web also makes it fast and easy to deploy and update applications without requiring any intervention of the user, and enables seamless integration of cloud-based services. Users, too, recognize the value of Web-based applications.

Clear Guidelines for Full Integration in W3C's Open Web Platform

With the ongoing work in the HTML5, CSS3, SVG, and WAI-ARIA Working Groups, the Web is catching up quickly with the ability to build a superior user interface. This concerted work drives innovations and new usages that only the Web platform enables. W3C is creating an even more powerful platform for developers, including better hardware and sensors integration. The Web Applications, Web Notifications, Web Events, Device APIs and Policy, and Geolocation Working Groups are bringing a wealth of JavaScript APIs that will reduce the gap between Web and native applications in the coming months and years.

 

Mobile Web Application Best Practices flip card excerpt
The Mobile Web Application Best Practices Cards
summarize the Guidelines

 

Mobile Web Application Best Practices offers guidance on which Web technologies are particularly relevant on mobile devices. The guidelines also indicate how to design Web applications that are responsive to their usage context, while sparing the network and optimizing response time to significantly boost the overall mobile user experience.

Participation by the Mobile Industry

The Mobile Web Best Practices (MWBP) Working Group participants, including key leaders from the mobile industry, are declaring their support for today's set of published mobile Web application guidelines. The group is composed of: AT&T, The Boeing Company, China Unicom, China Electronics Standardization Institute, Deutsche Telekom, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), Fundación ONCE, France Telecom, Google, HP, MobileAware, Mobile Web 2.0 Forum, Nokia, Novarra, Openwave Systems, Opera Software, Rochester Institute of Technology, SK Telecom, Telefónica de España, University of Manchester, Vishwak Solutions, Vodafone, Volantis and invited experts.

Support from the MobiWebApp project, part of the European Union's 7th Research Framework Programme (FP7/2010-2012), enables W3C to continue to actively develop extensive test suites and online training courses in this area.

About the World Wide Web Consortium

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is an international consortium where Member organizations, a full-time staff, and the public work together to develop Web standards. W3C primarily pursues its mission through the creation of Web standards and guidelines designed to ensure long-term growth for the Web. Over 300 organizations are Members of the Consortium. W3C is jointly run by the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (MIT CSAIL) in the USA, the European Research Consortium for Informatics and Mathematics (ERCIM) headquartered in France and Keio University in Japan, and has additional Offices worldwide. For more information see http://www.w3.org/

Media Contacts

Contact Americas, Australia
Ian Jacobs, <ij@w3.org>, +1.718.260.9447
Contact Europe, Africa and the Middle East
Marie-Claire Forgue, <mcf@w3.org>, +33 6 76 86 33 41

Testimonials for Mobile Web Application Best Practices

Fundación CTIC | MobileAware (English, العربية (Arabic), 简体中文 (Chinese simplified) , Deutsch, Español, Français, Italiano, Português) | Vodafone

Fundación CTIC

Fundación CTIC welcomes the publication of the Mobile Web Application Best Practices as a W3C Recommendation. As CTIC has already done with the rest of the Recommendations created by the Mobile Web Best Practices working group, our organization will base his knowledge transfer and services regarding mobile web technologies in these guidelines because we consider them as true useful indications for the development of high quality mobile web applications.

— Jose Manuel Alonso, Head of eGovernment, Open Data and Web Standards, CTIC.

MobileAware

English: MobileAware welcomes the publication of the W3C Mobile Web Applications Best Practices. This new W3C Recommendation includes important guidance for mobile Web application developers, which should be widely adopted. MobileAware particularly welcomes the advice regarding adaptive mobile Web applications, a concept that MobileAware has supported for many years. All Web developers should be encouraged to read this document.

العربية (Arabic):

يرحب MobileAware بنشر W3C لأحسنالممارسات لتطبيقات شبكة الجوال.

هذه التوصية الجديدة ل W3C تتضمن إرشادات مهمة لمطوري تطبيقات شبكة الجوال, التي ينبغي تبنيها على نطاق واسع.

يرحب MobileAware خاصة بالمشورة المتعلقة بالتطبيقات التكييفية لشبكة الجوال, مفهوم دعمه MobileAware منذ سنوات عديدة.

نشجع كل مطوري الويب على الإطلاع على هذه الوثيقة.

简体中文(Chinese simplified): 对于W3C机构公布的《移动Web应用最佳实践》爱尔兰MobileAware公司表示欢迎和支持。

 

此次的W3C推荐规范 包括了诸多应该被移动Web应用程序开发人员广泛采用的重要指导。

 

爱尔兰MobileAware公司特别关注此次推荐规范中关于自适应移动Web应用程序 概念的建议。尤其值得指出的是,MobileAware公司本身对于这项概念已经有多年的支持和经验。在此鼓励并建议所有Web开发人员应阅读这篇文档。

Deutsch: MobileAware begrüβt die Veröffentlichung der W3C Mobile Webanwendungen Beste Methoden. Diese neue W3C Recommendation enthaelt einige fuer Webentwickler wichtige Hinweise, die durchgaengig uebernommen werden sollten. Da MobileAware das Konzept der Adaptive Mobile Webanwendungen schon seit vielen Jahren unterstützt, sind die beinhalteten Informationen besonders gerne gesehen. Es sollte allen Webentwicklern empfohlen werden diese Veroeffentlichung zu lesen.

Español: MobileAware acoge con satisfacción la publicación por parte del W3C de las Mejores Prácticas para Aplicaciones Web Móviles. Esta recomendación del W3C incluye importantes guías para los desarrolladores de aplicaciones Web, que con carácter general deberían ser ampliamente aceptadas. MobileAware agradece particularmente la orientación del W3C sobre las aplicaciones Web móviles adaptativas, aquéllas que requieren interacción en el lado cliente con el dispositivo del usuario, un concepto que MobileAware ha venido impulsando a lo largo de muchos años. MobileAware anima a todos los desarrolladores Web a leer este documento.

Français: MobileAware se réjouit de la publication du W3C sur les Meilleures Pratiques pour les Applications Web Mobiles. Cette nouvelle recommandation du W3C inclut d’importantes lignes directrices pour les développeurs d’applications Web mobile qui devraient être largement adoptées. MobileAware se félicite en particulier du conseil concernant les applications Web mobile adaptives, un concept que MobileAware soutient depuis plusieurs années. Tous les développeurs Web devraient être encouragés à lire ce document.

Italiano: MobileAware dà il benvenuto alla pubblicazione del W3C sulle Mobile Web Application Best Practices. Questa nuova raccomandazione del W3C include delle direttive importanti per gli sviluppatori di applicazioni Web mobile, le quali dovrebbero essere ampiamente adottate. MobileAware apprezza particolarmente il consiglio riguardante le applicazioni Web mobile adattive, un concetto al quale MobileAware aderisce da molti anni. Tutti gli sviluppatori Web dovrebbero essere incoraggiati a leggere questo documento.

Portuguese: A MobileAware congratula a publicação da nova Recomendação de melhores práticas da W3C para Aplicações Web Móveis. Este novo padrão da W3C inclui importantes recomendações para desenvolvedores de Aplicações Web Móveis e deve ser amplamente adotado. A MobileAware apoia particularmente a recomendação referente a Aplicações Web Móveis Adaptativas, conceito suportado pela MobileAware por muitos anos. Todos desenvolvedores de aplicações web devem ser encorajados a ler este documento.

— Dr Rotan Hanrahan, Chief Innovations Architect and CTO, MobileAware.

Vodafone

Vodafone welcomes the final publication of the Mobile Web Application Best Practices from the Mobile Web Best Practices working group, a group which we helped to create. Since the start of the Mobile Web Best Practices group in 2005, we have seen the exponential growth of the Web as a Mobile platform. These guidelines, which in preliminary versions have already enjoyed use by mobile web developers, will help developers build more compelling, immersive Web application experiences across a range of mobile devices and utilising a range of Web technologies, including traditional WebApps and WebApps packaged as Widgets.

— Dr. Guenter Klas, Head of Internet Standards, Vodafone Group Service Limited.

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