RE: Mobile phone capabilities list?

Several companies create and maintain their own validated device information repositories, which are supersets of the information available in public. However, it takes great effort to create these repositories and they are generally created in support of specialised products. As a consequence, these repositories are out of reach because they are expensive. I am pleased to report that certain key suppliers of such repositories/products are participating in W3C MWI, with the hope that their experience may be applied to the situation that you suggest is the case today. An extensible, accurate, verified, trusted baseline repository of device descriptions is one of the items on the table, which requires the participants to examine carefully how such a repository might operate. Much of the work will be conducted with input from the wider community, so I welcome and encourage the feedback expressed on the public lists.
 
---Rotan
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Parker [mailto:sparker@well.com]
Sent: 21 July 2005 00:30
To: Rotan Hanrahan; Holley Kevin (Centre); www-mobile@w3.org
Cc: public-ddwg@w3.org
Subject: RE: Mobile phone capabilities list?


Formally, these are certainly the right standards/groups, but the track record is disappointing in practise. In my experience, the UAProf info actually supplied is not necessarily accurate or complete. The URLs are not always present or correct. There is no mechanism or procedure for correcting it - its entirely at the manufacturers' whim. Even when the data are ok, there's a lot of useful parameters missing from the standard. There's supposed to be a Java API, but I had to report a bug in the JSR reference implementation months after it was approved. It's very frustrating to anyone actually trying to cater for all the different devices right now. Standards are one thing, but to get something working, now, WURFL is the only show in town. I'm not an open source zealot, but WURFL has gone further faster than the standards bodies. It works as advertised, it's responsive, it's simple to use, it's user extensible.
 
Steve

-----Original Message-----
From: www-mobile-request@w3.org [mailto:www-mobile-request@w3.org]On Behalf Of Rotan Hanrahan
Sent: Wednesday, July 20, 2005 2:07 PM
To: Holley Kevin (Centre); www-mobile@w3.org
Cc: public-ddwg@w3.org
Subject: RE: Mobile phone capabilities list?


The UAProf information, where provided and validated, can provide some essential and objective information about mobile devices. It has been recognised, however, that in many domains of content authoring and adaptation that such information is insufficient. The DDWG will be exploring the bigger picture, and looking at ways that a general device description repository could be achieved, such that it can encompass UAProf and other sources of information, avoiding replication of services, and providing the necessary features of discovery, trust, efficiency and related information management issues. The DDWG is specifically directed to liaise with UAProf and other related groups to this end. Planned W3C Notes will explain in further detail, and these shall get a public airing during this year. Input from interested parties via the public mailing list will be encouraged. The group will also solicit specific information from key parties where appropriate.
 
I hope this adds some clarity.
 
---Rotan.
 
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