About the Mobile Web Initiative

While becoming increasingly popular, mobile Web access today still suffers from interoperability and usability problems. W3C’s Mobile Web Initiative addresses these issues through a concerted effort of key players in the mobile production chain, including authoring tool vendors, content providers, handset manufacturers, browser vendors and mobile operators.

Mobile Web involves browser vendors, adaptation providers, device manufacturers, mobile operators, content providers and authoring tools vendors

Mobile Web access has many advantages. Unlike the fixed Web, the mobile Web will go where you go. No longer will you have to remember to do something on the Web when you get back to your computer. You can do it immediately, within the context that made you want to use the Web in the first place.

Moreover, with mobile devices, the Web can reach a much wider audience, and at all times in all situations. It has the opportunity to reach into places where wires cannot go, to places previously unthinkable (e.g., medical info to mountain rescue scenes) and to accompany everyone as easily as they carry the time in their wristwatches.

Finally, today, many more people have access to mobile devices than access to a desktop computer. This is likely to be very significant in developing countries, where Web-capable mobile devices may play a similar role for deploying widespread Web access as the mobile phone has played for providing “plain old telephone service.”

Currently, the W3C Mobile Web Initiative is focusing on developing best practices for mobileOK Web sites and Web applications, device information needed for content adaptation, test suites for mobile browsers, and marketing and outreach activities.

Contact: Dominique Hazael-Massieux