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http://www.w3.org/ -- 19 april 2005 -- In overeenstemming met zijn internationale missie om het Web tot zijn volle potentieel te ontwikkelen heeft W3C vandaag een nieuw tariefstelsel bekendgemaakt designed to reduce the barrier of entry for organizations in developing countries. The goal is to make it easier for small companies and not-for-profit organizations to become W3C Members and become engaged in the development of foundation technologies for the World Wide Web.
"W3C is all about building Web technologies and bringing them to the world. Today, we hope to better engage underrepresented parts of our world through this new fee structure," declared Dr. Steve Bratt, W3C's Chief Operating Officer. "Offering reduced fees to organizations from the developing world can help more people to take advantage of the technical opportunities of Web technology. "
Technologies such as the Web proliferate to the extent that they are easily available - either because of distribution methods, licensing constraints, hardware and software requirements, or ease of use. Further, standardized technologies built in a flexible manner, with attention to internationalization needs (languages and/or infrastructure) can have dramatic impact on life, education and commerce in a given region.
However, one of the greatest obstacles for participation in large consortia is the cost of entry. What appears to be a reasonable membership fee in Western Europe, Japan, or North America is prohibitive in other parts of the world. While W3C does embrace participation from individuals as invited experts, the organization realized that more was necessary to engage organizations around the globe.
This initiative, focused on regions of the world beginning to discover Web technologies, is only the most recent in W3C's international identity and commitments. Through its technical Internationalization Activity, volunteer-based translation program, its fourteen Offices around the globe, as well as its Patent Policy, W3C can better meet the needs and requirements of diverse populations, and can help those regions develop sound, standards-based infrastructure.
Building on its broadly recognized work for the development of a global infrastructure, W3C is actively soliciting participation from organizations in the developing world, with help from its own members, government and NGO's, philanthropic organizations, and its extensive global Offices network. Interested parties should contact W3C.