W3C Holds Workshop for Mobile Device Description Repository; Working Group Seeks Input from Applications Developers, Database Experts and Others to Influence Future Work.

http://www.w3.org/ -- W3C has issued a Call for Participation for its latest Workshop to discuss the design, implementation and intended use of a Device Description Repository (DDR) as part of its Mobile Web Initiative. The event, led by W3C's Device Description Working Group (DDWG) takes place in Madrid, Spain, on 12 - 13 July, and is hosted by Telefonica Investigacion y Desarrollo.

"The quality of the user experience on mobile Web-enabled devices can be improved by adapting to the delivery context, with emphasis on the diverse characteristics of such devices," explained Rotan Hanrahan, Chair of the DDWG and MobileAware representative. "Making this information ubiquitously and freely available to adaptation processes will be a significant milestone in the evolution of the Web."

Device Descriptions Are Key to Mobile Web Performance

With ever-increasing diversity of Web-enabled devices it is expected that content adaptation will play a significant role in the delivery of content. Mobile Web-enabled devices exhibit the greatest diversity, and therefore present the greatest challenge.

The successful adaptation of content to the capabilities of a device depends on reliable knowledge about the target device, and a clear understanding of the demands and requirements of applications. For example, the selection of columns of a table may depend on the physical width of the screen. If the knowledge is absent, adaptation prior to delivery cannot take place.

DDWG Looking to Identify Next Steps for Registry Requirements, Design

The DDWG has produced a set of Requirements for a Device Description Repository, but is looking to identify issues related to applications development, requirements of Web services applications, data access and caching.

This Workshop, which will bring the first charter of the DDWG to a conclusion, will examine the Requirements and identify the most appropriate design and implementation strategies.

Call for Participation Open, Deadline for Papers is 31 May

People and organizations who have a specific interest in the work of the DDWG and who wish to participate in the Workshop are invited to send statements of interest to the Workshop Committee. The email address for such statements is [e-mail] . Participants are encouraged to first read the full Call for Participation for more details.

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 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. 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 400 organizations are Members of the Consortium. For more information see http://www.w3.org/