Setting the Stage for Tomorrow's Internet Appliances

Mobile devices could propel the next wave of Internet use, but a standard protocol that ensures interoperability among Internet appliances is essential. A group of Japanese companies has proposed just such a protocol, known as Compact HTML. by Noriko Takezaki The Internet and mobile communications devices are set to play starring roles on the global telecommunications stage, thanks to an astute prompter named the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). Backstage, however, there are a Japanese group of directors and a Western group of directors, each carefully checking the other's moves and endeavoring to ensure that its own version of the script is performed. Recently, a variety of Internet-ready information appliances have been introduced to the market, and many more can be expected within the next few years. In the absence of an agreed-upon global, or even national, standard method for Internet access, however, individual manufacturers have been developing products that incorporate their own choices of access methods. The result is a lack of interoperability among products that has hindered the growth of the Internet appliance market. Setting a standard To solve this problem, a group of Japanese companies early this year submitted to the W3C Japan's first proposal of a new protocol, known as Compact HTML (hypertext markup language). Since current information appliances cannot utilize standard HTML, due to such hardware restrictions as limited CPU performance, memory capacity, and screen size, the basic concept of the Compact HTML proposal is to create an agreed-upon subset of standard HTML that is suitable for mobile devices using the Internet. The Compact HTML concept was developed by Access, a Tokyo-based software company. The proposal to the W3C is being backed by such major Japanese consumer appliance manufacturers as Fujitsu, Matsushita Electric Industrial, Mitsubishi Electric, NEC, and Sony. "The strongest point of Compact HTML is its compliance with current W3C HTML recommendations, thereby inheriting their flexibility and portability," says Tomihisa Kamada, executive vice president of Access. "Since HTML has been widely used for Internet content creation, Compact HTML, being a subset of standard HTML, can function as a common specification to which manufacturers and content providers can adhere. It will help expand the information appliance market as a whole." All of the "tags" for Compact HTML are defined in either HTML 2.0, 3.2, or 4.0. Compact HTML is targeted at hardware that has a limited memory capacity (from 128KB to 512KB of RAM and 512KB to 1MB of ROM), relatively slow embedded systems CPU (from 1 to 10 MIPS), and small monochrome display (50x30, 100x72, or 150x100 resolution) supporting a single font. Compact HTML is designed for simple operation through a limited combination of function keys: cursor forward, cursor backward, select, and stop/back (return to previous page). While it can operate with standard HTTP servers, Compact HTML does not support such features as JPEG images, tables, image maps, multiple character fonts/styles, background colors/images, frames, or style sheets. DoCoMo plans Compact HTML service Possibly the most enthusiastic supporter of the Compact HTML concept is NTT Mobile Communications Network (NTT DoCoMo), Japan's most successful cellular phone company and a potential leader of the IMT2000 next-generation cellular phone system. Although the company did not authorize inclusion of its name in the Compact HTML promoters list, NTT DoCoMo has announced plans to introduce services via cellular phones using Compact HTML by the end of this year. The NTT DoCoMo service, to be called Gateway Service, will offer such information services as weather forecasts, plane and train schedules, and stock prices. It will also be expanded to include electronic commerce-based functions, such as mail-order sales and ticket reservations as well as online banking, advertisement, game, and database services. Content providers will be able send their service contents via the Internet to the NTT DoCoMo network. NTT DoCoMo will manage the service through gateway servers by using its billing and user database systems to confirm that the information is addressed to the right users and that billing is done properly. The service charge will be paid by users through their Internet service providers (ISPs) via the NTT DoCoMo billing system. For introduction of these services, the point that NTT DoCoMo is stressing will be the "user friendliness" of cellular phone-based operation. The target users are general consumers who may have little previous experience in using the Internet, and the ultimate objective is to make use of the service so easy that inexperienced users aren't even aware that they are using the Internet. NTT DoCoMo intends to provide service users with interfaces tailored to their individual interests, based on the company's user profile database. Western competition The Compact HTML protocol's Japanese promoters face a tough competitor, however, in the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) Forum, which has already proposed to the W3C a protocol known as Wireless Markup Language (WML). WAP Forum members include three of the leading Western mobile phone business leaders -- Ericsson, Motorola, and Nokia -- as well as a fast-growing California-based software company in the wireless Internet/intranet access business, Unwired Planet. Before working on development of WML, Unwired Planet led development of the Handheld Device Markup Language (HDML). This was proposed to the W3C in July 1997 as an Internet-access language for use by mobile devices. The team backing the HDML proposal included Alcatel Alsthom Recherche, AT&T, Gemplus, Mitsubishi Electric, Sun Microsystems, and Tandem Computers, in addition to Unwired Planet. The HDML specifications failed to win W3C support, however, since they were not compliant with HTML. Unwired Planet therefore formed the previously mentioned WAP Forum in January 1998 to revise the language. The renamed Wireless Markup Language protocol was submitted to the W3C in March 1998. The contents of WML are basically the same as those of HDML. WML is based, however, on Extensible Markup Language (XML), which gained W3C approval in February 1998 and has since been gaining popularity among Website developers. The WAP Forum hopes that by supporting the already-approved XML, it can gain quick approval from the W3C for WML. May the best ML win In early April, in Tokyo, the W3C held its first workshop to discuss proposed mobile device Internet access methods, including Compact HTML and WML. "In the near future, embedded [mobile] devices hooked to the Internet will have tremendous potential. This will make Internet access completely different from that through traditional PCs," says Dave Raggett, co-chairman of the Mobile Access Workshop. Ragget was involved in the development of HTML. "We want to move to a future where we can broaden the range of Internet access contents," he continues. "In this regard, we need to move forward to solve the problems in developing mobile access contents. We must establish a certain negotiation mechanism between mobile devices and Web servers, while keeping flexibility in the network architecture." At this stage, it is difficult to predict whether Compact HTML or WML will get the nod from the W3C. To help sway the decision, however, Compact HTML promoters are initiating an interest group within the W3C to study the possibilities of Compact HTML. In this manner, they hope to retain the initiative over WML supporters. Companies expected to join the Compact HTML Interest Group are NTT DoCoMo, Matsushita, Geoworks, and Sharp, in addition to Access. "First, the interest group will review all the current W3C specifications from the viewpoint of mobile devices," reports Tatsuya Hagino, W3C deputy director for Asia, and associate professor on the Faculty of Environmental Information at Keio University. "If the group finds any problems, they will work to develop solutions for those problems. Then, if things go well, there is a possibility that a working group can be formed to make the Compact HTML specifications a W3C recommendation." Submission of the Compact HTML proposal to the W3C was Japan's first challenge to the US-dominated Internet world. Japan has not been a major player so far, and Japanese companies are using this opportunity to try and enhance their position in the W3C -- and, ultimately, their position in the Internet world. In this sense, the W3C decision regarding the Compact HTML proposal will in part determine the extent of Japan's influence on Internet business of the future. In order to gain W3C support, the participation of more Japanese companies in the W3C would probably help. Currently, the W3C is a Western-dominated organization, with some 90% of the participants from the US and Europe. There are only 19 Japanese companies among the approximately 250 members. "It [submission of the Compact HTML proposal] may change the attitude of Japanese companies, who have not considered the possibility of being dominant in the Web world and are reluctant to take risks in starting new things," suggests Hagino. "For growth of the [influence of] Japanese companies, collaboration as well as competition is required. We believe that an organization like [the W3C] can help promote collaboration among companies, and contribute to the growth of the Internet business in Japan." The stage is set, and the curtain ready to open. Whether the Japan-developed Compact HTML wins the audition for the starring role is now up to the W3C. The World Wide Web Consortium was founded in October 1994 with the stated purpose of leading the World Wide Web to its full potential by developing common protocols that promote its evolution and ensure interoperability. The W3C is an international industry consortium jointly hosted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Laboratory for Computer Science (US), Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (Europe), and Keio University Shonan Fujisawa Campus (Japan). Services provided by the Consortium include acting as a repository for information about the World Wide Web for developers and users, maintaining reference code implementations to embody and promote standards, and providing various prototype and sample applications to demonstrate the use of new technology. Membership in the W3C is $US50,000 per year for full membership and US$5,000 per year for affiliate membership. Full membership is open to all prospective members; affiliate membership is open to nonprofit organizations, governmental departments/agencies, and for-profit organizations that have annual revenues of less than $US50 million, or are either a subsidiary of a full member or are not majority-owned by an entity with over $US50 million in revenues. For more information about the W3C and its activities, see http://www.w3.org/. For information about joining the W3C, e-mail Yumiko Matsubara, Public Relations -- Asia World Wide Web Consortium (W3C/Keio), at matsubara@w3.org. Details of the Compact HTML specifications can be found at http://www.w3.org/Submission/1998/04/. Back to the table of contents