REDMOND, Wash., July 8, 1997 — Microsoft Corp. today endorsed the industry’s new specification for HTML, a critical Internet technology, and announced support for HTML 4.0 in its popular Microsoft® Internet Explorer Web browser.
Earlier today, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) announced its HTML 4.0 Working Draft. Microsoft said that it will support this specification in Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 Preview 2, available later this month, enabling content providers to use new HTML features. Microsoft’s announcement marks the latest delivery in its year-old pledge to honor all of the industry’s HTML standards for the Internet http://www.microsoft.com/internet/html.htm.
“The W3C specification announced today is a major step forward for HTML,” said Dan Connolly, HTML working group chairperson for the W3C. “This working draft is the result of strong teamwork and a willingness to collaborate openly by all of our members. We appreciate Microsoft’s participation in the W3C, and its immediate support for the HTML 4.0 Working Draft in Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0.”
“HTML 4.0 is positive proof that the standards process works,” said Brad Chase, vice president, marketing, Internet client and collaboration division at Microsoft. “We’re fully committed to continuing our work with the W3C and to supporting HTML 4.0 in Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0.”
HTML 4.0 Gives Industry Increased Flexibility, Power
The new HTML 4.0 provides additional features to content providers, enabling them to build more powerful and flexible Web applications. Through new forms capabilities, content providers can utilize keyboard shortcuts, add labels to forms controls, group related controls together, and create rich HTML buttons. Table enhancements allow improved column and border control. Newly introduced HTML elements enable developers to incorporate scripts, style sheets and framesets in their HTML documents in a standards-based way. HTML 4.0 also provides object support and file upload capabilities.
“With HTML 4.0, we can create standards-based pages that are more appealing to our users and also more functional,” said Paul Hess, chief technology officer of Attitude Network Ltd., publisher of Happy Puppy and Games Domain. “We’re pleased that Microsoft is taking the lead in supporting HTML 4.0 in Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0.”
“ExperTelligence WebberActive 4.0 is providing support today for HTML 4.0 by automatically exposing all new elements and attributes for content providers, and providing full validation for new HTML 4.0 elements,” said Denison Bollay, chief executive officer of ExperTelligence Inc. “This will help authors and developers take advantage of the new capabilities in HTML 4.0 quickly and easily.”
Millions of Additional Users Can Now Access the Web
The HTML 4.0 Working Draft also gives international users and people with disabilities greater access to the Web. This new specification enables HTML to be used with all character sets. New form elements let users navigate more easily using keyboard shortcuts. Other features make tables, forms and image maps compatible with tools used by people who have limited vision or dexterity, and allow sounds to be captioned for users who are deaf or hard of hearing.
“Lack of accessibility has prevented visually impaired people from taking full advantage of the Web,” said Michael Paciello, executive director of the Yuri Rubinsky Insight Foundation. “HTML 4.0 helps to remove this barrier, making the Web a great professional and recreational resource for the 750 million people with disabilities worldwide.”
For more information on HTML 4.0, please visit the W3C Web site at (http://www.w3.org/) .
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