The World Wide Web Consortium
(W3C) and the Wireless Application
Protocol (WAP) Forum this week announced a formal liaison relationship.
The new relationship will allow them to define “next-generation Web
specifications that support the full participation of wireless devices” on
the Web. The two organizations are working together to create a common
process for producing next-generation, XML-based Web specifications,
defining testing and implementation processes, and promoting these
specifications.
The W3C is widely known for developing open, interoperable specifications
that “reinforce and extend the scalability, robustness and capability of
the Web as a universal communications medium.” WAP is the standard for
providing Internet connectivity on digital mobile phones, pagers, personal
digital assistants and other wireless devices. Through this new
relationship, the two groups will enable wireless devices to participate as
full peers on the Web through the integration of WAP’s Wireless Markup
Language (WML) features with the W3C’s XHTML, their next generation markup
language.
The WAP/W3C coordination committee is scheduled to meet on a regular basis
in order to maintain consistency between the specifications of the two
groups, promote common specifications, and enable cooperation between the
two working groups. Items to be discussed include the joint work on XHTML,
compatibility with SMIL, (Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language),
user privacy information, and CC/PP, a universal device profiling protocol
that is based on the W3C’s RDF Metadata technology.
Looking ahead, the two organizations will coordinate on the future
development of XML applications and in content adaptation through the use
of vector graphics and style sheets.