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Segala joins other industry leaders to help improve Mobile Web User Experience

Released: 18 May 2005

Dublin based Web accessibility and mobile testing expert Segala has joined other industry leaders to help improve Mobile Web User Experience. With the launch of the Mobile Web Initiative (MWI) by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), founding member Segala will work alongside France Telecom, HP, MobileAware, Vodafone and Volantis to ensure that Web access from a mobile device is as simple and convenient as Web access from a desktop device.

Segala is a pioneering force behind web accessibility conformance accreditation, working with design agencies, usability companies and their clients, and providing them with a branded logo which acts as a seal of approval for web accessibility. Segala will have a seat on the MWI Steering Committee and will be responsible for the rollout of the project.

Segala is an authoritative, independent expert in Web accessibility accreditation. Segala is also responsible for actually revising the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) guidelines that are being used for accessibility compliance. The objective is to lead the Web to its full potential by promoting a high degree of usability for people with disabilities.

Segala provides an accreditation service for leading brands such as O2, validating the work produced by its design agencies (e.g. Agency Republic) and providing the branded logo which acts as a seal of approval for web accessibility.

Any company, irrespective of its size and sector, can extend its reach by providing a more accessible website which offers an improved user experience, explains Paul Walsh, CEO and co-founder of Segala. This applies to accessibility via mobile devices as well as for those with disabilities.

Note to editors

About Segala

Segala is a worldwide independent authority and provider of web accessibility and mobile content auditing, testing, certification and Trustmark services. Segala provides accessibility conformance evaluations, audits and certification for web and mobile publishers, developers and agencies to satisfy usability and accessibility guidelines and legislation.

Segala is a sponsor member of the W3C Content Label Incubator Group (XG-CL), a worldwide initiative to develop content labelling standards for the web. As an Associate member of the W3C, Segala also participates in the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) and is a Founding Sponsor of the Mobile Web Initiative (MWI). Segala is the first testing and compliance specialist worldwide to become an associate member of the GSMA. Segala has global headquarters in Dublin, Ireland. For further information visit www.segala.com.

About the Segala-Certified™ Trustmark

Segala is the first company worldwide to make a machine-readable content label available for web accessibility and mobile content by providing a visible Trustmark that is detectable by search engines and browsers. The Segala-Certified Trustmark provides a branded, certified and verifiable method that enables search engines and browsers to develop systems for users to filter and trust content that contain this Trustmark. It is the first Trustmark worldwide to be based on the method proposed by members of the W3C XG-CL activity and which is expected to exceed the previous content label standard, PICS, currently used by Microsoft Internet Explorer. O2 is the first major organization worldwide to adopt the Segala Trustmark as standard throughout its online content.

The Mobile Web Initiative

World Wide Web technologies have become the key enablers for access to the Internet through desktop and notebook computing platforms. Web technologies have the potential to play the same role for Internet access from mobile devices. However, today, mobile Web access suffers from interoperability and usability problems that make the Web difficult to use for most mobile phone subscribers.

W3C's Mobile Web Initiative proposes to address these issues through a concerted effort of key players in the mobile production chain, including authoring tool vendors, content providers, handset manufacturers, browser vendors and mobile operators.

Currently, the W3C MWI is focusing on developing best practices and a Trustmark for Web sites (working name: mobileOK), work on device information needed for content adaptation, and marketing and outreach activities.

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