W3C Open Standards Community (situation analysis)
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) develops interoperable technologies (specifications, guidelines, software, and tools) to lead the Web to its full potential. W3C is a forum for information, commerce, communication, and collective understanding. The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is an international consortium where Member organizations, a full-time staff, and the public work together to develop Web standards. W3C's mission is: To lead the World Wide Web to its full potential by developing protocols and guidelines that ensure long-term growth for the Web.
W3C operations are supported by a combination of Member dues (it has around 400 members), research grants, and other sources of public and private funding. W3C operations are jointly administered by MIT in the USA, ERCIM headquartered in France and Keio University in Japan. W3C also has World Offices in fifteen regions around the world. The W3C Offices work with their regional Web communities to promote W3C technologies in local languages, broaden W3C's geographical base, and encourage international participation in W3C Activities.
Geographic Distribution
The geographic distribution of W3C members is based on data available on the W3C Website. This page also lists the membership categories.
According to W3C, it's members enjoy a number of specific Membership benefits including:
- The opportunity to interact and work directly with the leading companies and organizations in the Web world;
- A seat on the W3C Advisory Committee (AC), including an invitation to semi-annual Advisory Committee meetings;
- Right to submit proposals ("Member Submissions") to be considered for future Consortium work;
- The ability to provide strategic direction to the Consortium through review of W3C Activity proposals and operational policies;
- Participation in W3C Working Groups, where specifications and guidelines are developed, and in W3C Interest Groups, where discussions are conducted;
- Invitation to W3C Workshops, frequently incubators for new technical work within the Consortium;
- Sponsorship and marketing opportunities such as those for annual meetings;
- Access to the Member-only Web site containing early information on emerging Web technologies, software, events, forums, news and announcements;
- Access to Member-only mailing lists, hosting discussions on work underway in the Consortium;
- Access to the W3C news service. Updates on W3C Activities, announcements for meetings, workshops and conferences, the calendar of events, and Team information are sent directly via email to Member Representatives and posted on the Member site;
- The right to use the W3C Member logo on your Web site and to participate in press releases, often through testimonials.
Marketing Aspects
Tim Berners-Lee (the founder of the WWW) held a Talk on marketing at a W3C meeting in 2005. The highlights of this presentation with regards to the marketing of open standards are shown below:
Tim identifies the partcipation costs (in the W3C open standard community) as:
- Strategists partcipate in standards planning
- Experts partcipate in standards group
- Product development aligns with upcoming standards
- Marketing of new Standards
The direct benefit of participating is as follows:
- Strategy is informed by community
- Expert effort is multiplied 10-100 fold
- Product development may use shared code-base
- Marketing effort is multiplied
According to Tim, parties are faced with a difficult choice:
- Plan A: Pursue standard. Commit resources. Transition products. Work with competitors. Encourage it to to all take off
- Plan B: Continue working in isolation. Keep proprietary control of customers.
| Costs | Benefit (standards fail) | Benefit (success) | |
| Plan A |
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| Plan B |
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Often, Participation carries the least risk.
