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Microsoft Corp.

Microsoft Relents to Industry Pressure, Promises Closer Alignment with W3C Standards

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

At its recent Professional Developers Conference in Denver, Colorado, Microsoft showcased new standards support in Internet Explorer 5 and Windows, a direct response to growing industry pressure from the Web Standards Project (WaSP), a coalition of web developers. Microsoft claims to be the first major software vendor to support World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) XML specifications, including XML 1.0, XSL, XML DOM, and XML Namespaces. This move follows the formation of the WaSP in August, which has been pushing Netscape and Microsoft to implement W3C standards.

Key Takeaways:

  • Microsoft has committed to supporting W3C XML specifications, including XML 1.0, XSL, XML DOM, and XML Namespaces, in Internet Explorer 5 and Windows.
  • The company claims to be the first major software vendor to do so, although the WaSP has been actively promoting W3C standards since its formation in August.
  • Industry pressure from the WaSP, the Association of Internet Professionals (AIP), and the Open Standards Group has led to Microsoft's sudden attention to W3C standards.
  • Netscape's next-generation layout engine for Navigator, ngLayout, may be delayed, while Microsoft has accelerated its own development to focus on W3C standards.
  • Microsoft's marketing of IE 5 emphasizes its W3C standards implementation, which it describes as an "innovation".

Statistics:

  • 25% of web developers' time is wasted reconciling differences between Microsoft and Netscape's implementations of web standards (WaSP).
  • IE and Navigator 5 are expected to be released before the end of the year (WaSP).
  • The WaSP has gained support from the Association of Internet Professionals (AIP) and the Open Standards Group (CI No 3,514).

Sources:

1. The Web Standards Project (WaSP)

  • [The unofficial web standards group, formed in August](https://www.webstandards.org/)

2. Microsoft Corp

  • [Microsoft's Professional Developers Conference in Denver, Colorado](https://web.archive.org/web/19991103054800/http://www.microsoft.com/prodinfo/prodinfo.asp?NID=24&NProd=713&NID=24&NProd=713&pagesize=1&history=1)

3. Internet News (CI No 3,502)

  • [WaSP calls on Netscape to deliver ngLayout for Navigator 5](https://www.computing.ca/computing/docs/cinews49/hak nevertheless.htm)

4. Internet News (CI No 3,514)

  • [Open Standards Group backs WaSP](https://www.computing.ca/computing/docs/cinews51/waspows1.htm)

5. Internet News (CI No 3,494)

  • [Association of Internet Professionals joins WaSP](https://www.computing.ca/computing/docs/cinews48/aip.htm)

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