2008-10-21 21:18:02 -

- The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Americas, Australia Ian Jacobs, +1-718-260-9447 ij@w3.org or Europe, Africa and the Middle East Marie-Claire Forgue, +33.492.38.75.94 mcf@w3.org or Asia Fumihiro Kato, +81.466.49.1170 fumi@w3.org The World Wide Web Consortium, the leading organization that develops Web standards, is holding its annual Technical Plenary week near its European host site in France.

More than 350 software engineers, developers, and other experts in a wide range of technologies such as HTML, XML, CSS, Mobile Web, Semantic Web, and Video in the Web, come together to address a variety of challenges in the development of Web standards. Through joint meetings, panels, and "hallway discussions," participants build shared understanding of these challenges, an important step in the design

of standards that ensure that the Web remains open, interoperable, and accessible for all people. W3C thanks Nokia, whose generous support as a Platinum Sponsor has helped make this meeting possible.

Tim Berners-Lee, W3C Director and inventor of the Web, will lead open the 22 October plenary session with a keynote and discussion on the technical direction of W3C for the next several years and where Web applications, documents, and data come together. In the keynote, Berners-Lee will also share thoughts on the future of HTML in the browser and how HTML and XML communities can learn from each other.

Technical experts from W3C staff and W3C Members organizations such as CWI, DERI Galway, Fundacion CTIC, Google, IBM, INRIA, IWA-HWG, Mark Logic, Mobileaware, NICTA, OMTP, Openstream, Opera Software, Oracle, TopQuadrant, University of Amsterdam, University of Edinburgh, and Vodafone, will deliver a wide range of talks and demonstrations as part of a diverse agenda that includes:

-- The architecture of the Web;

-- A demonstration on building Accessible Rich Internet Applications;

-- The impact of content management systems on the Web;

-- Demonstrations of multimodal interaction, voice browsing, and Semantic Web technology.

The meeting record of the Plenary Day sessions will be public, and attendees are encouraged to blog in real time. News media interested in covering the event should contact w3t-pr@w3.org for information about remote or on-site participation.

About the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is an international consortium where Member organizations, a full-time staff, and the public work together to develop Web standards. W3C primarily pursues its mission through the creation of Web standards and guidelines designed to ensure long-term growth for the Web. Over 400 organizations are Members of the Consortium. W3C is 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, and has additional Offices worldwide. For more information see www.w3.org

¶ Tim Berners-Lee Keynote to Focus on W3C Direction, HTML in Browser

¶ Working Group Meetings, Panels, and Informal Discussions Play
Important Role in Building Community to Address Technical Needs