The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has launched the
Mobile Web Initiative (MWI), with the aim of making web access from
a mobile device as easy as web access from a desktop
device.
"Mobile access to the web has been a second class experience for
far too long," said Tim Berners-Lee, W3C director. "MWI recognises
the mobile device as a first class participant, and will produce
materials to help developers make the mobile web experience
worthwhile.”
The W3C said mobile users often find that their favourite
websites are not accessible or not as easy to use on their mobile
phone as on their desktop.
Also, content providers have difficulties building websites that
work well on all types and configurations of mobile phones that
offer Web access.
Mobile Web Initiative participants will initially focus on best
practices and mobile device descriptions.
The Mobile Web Best Practices Working Group will develop
authoring guidelines, checklists and best practices to help content
providers to develop web content that works well on mobile
devices.
The Device Description Working Group will address the
development of improved device description solutions, namely a
database of descriptions that can be used by content authors to
adapt their content to a particular device.
W3C members France Telecom, HP, MobileAware, Segala M Test,
Vodafone, and Volantis have become the first founding sponsors of
the MWI.
All W3C members are eligible to become MWI founding sponsors
until 1 July. Founding sponsors will take a lead role in the MWI’s
work.