Testimonials for "W3C to Move European Host to ERCIM"

These testimonials are in support of the related press release.

As an ERCIM Member, CCLRC is pleased to belong to the new European host for W3C. CCLRC's Rutherford Appleton Laboratory has been home to the W3C's UK and Ireland office since 1997, and has brought W3C awareness not only to those in CCLRC, but also through communications campaigns throughout the UK and Ireland. CCLRC's association with W3C has provided industrial relevance contributed to our success in acquiring funding. In particular, developments towards the vision of the Semantic Web provide both exciting research opportunities and the prospect of overcoming long known of limitations in globally interoperable IT services.

-- Professor John Wood, Chief Executive, CCLRC

As a longstanding member of both ERCIM (since 1992) and W3C (since 1995), CNR is pleased to belong to the new European host for W3C. CNR has been home to the W3C's Office in Italy since 1999, which has brought awareness of W3C technologies throughout Italy. In particular, as part of the new European host: we expect to extend the invaluable opportunities for technology transfer offered by operating as a W3C Office; and we believe the vision of the Semantic Web provides for exciting collaborative research opportunities across ERCIM.

-- Professor Piero Maestrini, Director, Istituto di Scienza e Tecnologie dell' Informazione "A. Faedo" (ISTI-CNR), Pisa

CWI, The National Research Institute for Mathematics and Computer Science in the Netherlands, is one of the founders in 1989 of ERCIM, the new European host for W3C. CWI has been and is actively involved in W3C Working Groups (SMIL, (X)HTML, SVG, Semantic Web, etc.), and hosts the W3C Benelux Office since 1998. The organisational change is welcomed by CWI. Both W3C and ERCIM will greatly benefit from the synergy and complementary effects.

-- Gerard van Oortmerssen, President of ERCIM and Director of CWI - Centre for Mathematics and Computer Science, The Netherlands.

Digital Media Institute (DMI) is pleased to belong to the new European host for W3C. DMI has hosted the W3C Finnish Office since 2002 and >stimulated W3C awareness in Finland. DMI thrives to lead the Web to its full potential not only as a office host but also as a W3C Member, by doing significant research and development work in the field of digital media.

-- Hannu Eskola, Director, DMI

ERCIM, established in 1989, views the hosting of the World Wide Web Consortium for the European zone as an opportunity for increasing cooperation already in existence between ERCIM members and the W3C. As the development of web technologies requires further research activities, technology transfer and standardisation, developing the relationship and increasing the synergy between the W3C team and the research teams of the ERCIM institutes is of high mutual interest.

-- Bruno le Dantec, ERCIM Deputy Manager

As the representative of Greece in the European Research Consortium for Informatics and Mathematics, the Institute of Computer Science (ICS) of the Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas (FORTH) welcomes this organizational change. ICS-FORTH, host of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Office in Greece since 1998 and pioneering contributor towards the deployment and adoption of Information Society Technologies, conducts cutting-edge Research and Development in W3C-related areas including Accessibility, the Semantic Web, and Device Independence.

-- Stelios Orphanoudakis, Vice-President of ERCIM and director of ICS-FORTH

The "Fraunhofer Institute for Media Communication" (IMK) is hosting the W3C office in Germany and Austria now for more than 4 years. Web multimedia technologies based on W3C's XML standards are an important foundation of future media communication. Being one of the first German members of W3C and a founding member of ERCIM we welcome opportunities for closer cooperation that result from ERCIM becoming a host of W3C.

-- Professor Martin Reiser, Director, Fraunhofer IMK

It is with great enthusiasm and anticipation that we entrust ERCIM with the responsibility for Hosting W3C in Europe. This will represent a major expansion for our Consortium. We have the honor to continue our productive relationship with INRIA, while expanding existing and establishing new partnerships with 15 other prestigious research institutions throughout Europe. As a result, new opportunities to expand and establish connections with European industry, academia and the public will open. The expanded network will help both W3C and the ERCIM institutes develop new ideas and technologies that may better lead the Web to its full potential.

-- Dr. Steve Bratt, Chief Operating Officer, W3C/MIT

The Swedish Institute of Computer Science (SICS) is already the regional host of W3C, as well as an active member of ERCIM since 1992. We consider closer cooperation between the two organisations most natural and well-founded as it offers clear advantages for both. SICS is proud to contribute to this powerful research network especially in the areas of infrastructure and global, mobile access to rich information sources for all.

-- Gunnar Bjurel, Managing Director, SICS

MTA SZTAKI, the Computer and Automation Research Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences is pleased to address the moving W3C European Host to ERCIM because of the 7 year old strong relationship. SZTAKI is active member in working groups and activities (eg. DELOS digital library initiative) of ERCIM and hopes the new relation - SZTAKI as W3C Hungarian Office and ERCIM as W3C European Host - will drive W3C Membership and awareness in using W3C technologies in Hungary.

-- Dr. Peter Inzelt, Director of MTA SZTAKI - Computer and Automation Research Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences

About the World Wide Web Consortium [W3C]

The W3C was created to lead the Web to its full potential by developing common protocols that promote its evolution and ensure its interoperability. It is an international industry consortium jointly run by the MIT Laboratory for Computer Science (MIT LCS) in the USA, the National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control (INRIA) in France and Keio University in Japan. Services provided by the Consortium include: a repository of information about the World Wide Web for developers and users, and various prototype and sample applications to demonstrate use of new technology. To date, over 450 organizations are Members of the Consortium.

For more information about the World Wide Web Consortium, see http://www.w3.org/