The document discusses the evolution of mobile application development from native apps to mobile web apps. It describes how the Open Web Platform is catching up to native apps in capabilities like geolocation and media, though native apps still have advantages in performance and discovery. The document then outlines the Wholesale Applications Community (WAC) alliance between telecom operators, which aims to accelerate the market for mobile web apps by providing device and network APIs to developers and enabling apps to run across multiple carriers. Finally, it discusses the ongoing work of WAC to close remaining gaps and deploy HTML5-based open web devices.

1. WAC and beyond
Building mobile applications
with the Open Web Platform
José M. Cantera @jmcantera
Movilforum Conference 2011
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2. Introduction
First Wave of Mobile App Development
• Native applications for specific platforms
› iOS, Android, WP7, Blackberry
• Device capabilities exploited at a maximum
› Accelerometer, Compass, Camera, Contacts, Battery …
• Performance and UX are outstanding on smartphones
› Multitouch / swipe, Animations, Accelerated Graphics …
• Write-Many / Run-Many Principle
› Highly-specialized developers (Java, Objective C, .NET)
• Apps are sold and discovered in App Stores
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3. The next wave : Mobile Web Apps
Web Apps the next wave of mobile development
• developed using the Open Web Platform technologies
› Javascript, HTML, CSS, AJAX
• run in a standard execution environment
› Web Browser or Web Runtime (chromeless browser)
Web Apps can democratize mobile development
• Engaging tons of new (less specialized) developers
• Write Once – Run Many principle
• Various flexible distribution models
› (Widget, Native)-Packaged - Installable, Hosted (WWW)
It can work but … you will never able to compete with
native …. won’t you?
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4. HTML5 and the Open Web Platform
An evolution of the Web stack aimed at creating
compelling applications that can work on multiple
devices and platforms
Presentation CSS3 – Transitions Gradients Media
SVG
Animations Transformations Queries
WebRTC
DeviceOrientation WebSocket
APIs
Audio- Video
Canvas - WebGL
indexedDB Geolocation WebWorkers
DOM4
JSON AppCache HTML(5)
TouchEvents
Core
CSSOM CORS
Ecmascript5 XHR2
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5. Web vs Native at a glance
Native can do more, but
• the Web is catching up: GeoLocation,
DeviceOrientation, Media Capture, Battery ….
• WRTs are extensible Hybrid App (“ala
PhoneGap”)
Native run faster, but
• JS performance improves everyday
• GPU accel of <canvas> 2-3D context
Native apps are easier to be discovered and
monetize, aren’t they?
• The power of URLs re-invented
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6. WAC : Telco Ops innovation on the Web
WAC Wholesale Applications Community
• Joint-Venture of tier 1 telco operators (Feb. 2010)
• Open global alliance aimed at accelerating and
expanding the market for mobile web applications
› giving developers the opportunity to write applications
that can be deployed across multiple devices, platforms
and operators
› enable developers to utilise both device and network
capabilities
• WAC 2.0 Bondi + JIL (Waikiki)
› Now deployed in the Korean market
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7. .-
WAC 2.0 .- How it works
WAC 2.0 Apps are
• Mobile Web Applications developed using the
technologies provided by the Open Web Platform
• packaged (and signed) as per the W3C Widget specs (zip
file with a config.xml manifest and XML Digital
Signature)
• executed on a Web Runtime (WRT) that provides web
rendering services and Javascript-based Device APIs
• Enable security and privacy
• Distributed by multiple operators in different WAC app
stores
• Sharable by users regardless of their home operator
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8. WAC : Closing the Gaps
Device APIs
• Give access from .js to the main device capabilities
› camera, PIM, messaging, sysinfo, file system, location
› asynchronous design
Network APIs
• Telco network capabilities exposed as Web APIs
• OAuth 2.0 enabled WRTs
Security
• Flexible security framework based on policies
› PERMIT, DENY, or PROMPT (blanket, session, one prompt)
• Trusted vs untrusted domains i.e. signed vs non-signed app
› Domain example: all the apps signed by the operator
• Default security policy for certain domains (operator, WAC,
untrusted)
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9. WAC : Next Steps
WAC is working on
• closercooperation with browser development
communities and standards bodies
› towards the convergence of Device APIs
› Mozilla Gecko - W3C DAP
• New Device APIs prototyping and definition
› Sensors, Telephony, Settings …
• New deployment models, enabling browser-based
apps
• Creating an HTML5 Open Device
› Boot2Gecko – Open Web Device (OWD)
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10. Conclusions
The Web Stack has a lot of momentum, specially on
mobile. HTML5 is the enabler.
Native is a fast-moving target but the Web is closing
the gap
• Hybrid apps to get the best of both worlds
WAC is making important contributions to the
Mobile Web
• Closing gaps concerning device and network APIs
• Open and standards-based innovations
• Enabling secure and privacy-respectful apps
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11. Show me the code Widget-Packaged
Labyrinth
• Sensor API (Accelerometer) HOSTED
Cache
manifest
• Canvas 2D context
HTTP
Web
Compass App Browser
• Canvas 2D Context Cache
• DeviceOrientation Web Server
Deployment models
• Widget-Packaged (WRT) Native-Packaged
• Native-Packaged
› (Hybrid App – Phone Gap)
• Hosted Web App (with AppCache)
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