"Mobile access to the web has been a second class experience for
far too long," explained Sir Tim Berners-Lee, director of the
W3C
, the international standards-setting body for the
internet, and the man credited with inventing the World Wide
Web.
"MWI recognizes the mobile device as a first class participant,
and will produce materials to help developers make the mobile web
experience worthwhile," he added.
While many existing mobile devices already feature web browsers,
browsing the web from a mobile device has proved to be a more
difficult experience than from a desktop. Mobile web users often
find that their favourite web sites are not as accessible or not as
easy to use, while content providers have difficulties building web
sites that work well on all types and configurations of mobile
phones offering web access.
The
MWI
hopes to counter this in two ways: by
setting guidelines, checklists and best practices for content
providers; and by developing improved device description solutions
for content authors, allowing them to more easily adapt their
content to a particular device.
Two groups, the Mobile Web Best Practices Working Group and the
Device Description Working Group, have been set up under the
MWI
to take the matter forward.
France Telecom,
HP
, MobileAware, Segala M Test,
Vodafone, and Volantis have already agreed to be Founding Sponsors
of the Initiative.
