MICROSOFT PUSHES FOR HTML5 SKILLS AMONG DEVELOPERS

With the aim of encouraging Web developers to become aware and have skills for the new HTML5 technology, Microsoft Thailand has introduced its campaign called 'Travel Thailand, Bring Back the Land of Smiles Web Development'.

The campaign is designed to encourage Web developers in Thailand to be skilled with HTML5, which is the latest evolution in the HTML standard, and is considered the single biggest leap forward in Web development.

Microsoft Thailand developer support manager Sanguan Thannarojsakul said that it is expected HTML5 will become the new standard for Web development that will open many doors for developers with HTML5 skills. There are a few Web developers with HTML5 skills in Thailand, however, there could be a shortage of Web developers with these skills.

"This campaign is mainly aimed at encouraging awareness and allowing Web developers in Thailand to become familiar with HTML5, which is fast becoming the preferred language of the Web because it is most compatible across a wide range of applications and devices. We hope to bring awareness of the advanced capability of HTML5 through this competition," said Sanguan.

HTML5 enables users to access websites through all Web browsers on any devices, with a responsive Web design feature that adjusts the website to fit any screen size. HTML5's ability is to allow Web browsers to handle both video and audio without plug-ins, and make it a must for certain Web applications.

He said the campaign has been launched since January this year and more than 300 Web developers are participating.

"We really hope to encourage more Web developers in Thailand to have HTML5 skills. Currently, we have about 20,000 to 30,000 local software developers who are partners and less than 10 per cent of them are aware of or have the skills for HTML5," said Sanguan.

He said that apart from encouraging Web developers to become aware of the new standard of Web development, this campaign also aims to promote tourism in Thailand, especially in provinces which were flooded last year.

In Thailand, there are a few websites that have been developed with HTML5 standard. Pantip.com, the popular Web-board in Thailand, plans to launch its new Web architecture developed by HTML5 called Pantip's 3G.

Pantip.com product manager Apisilp Trunganont, who is a judge of the competition, said that Pantip.com is considered to be Thailand's first website to be powered by HTML5 technology. Users can look forward to the ultimate Pantip.com experience when the upgraded website is launched in July this year.

"Currently, consumers prefer to access Web anywhere, anytime, and through any devices. HTML5 will allow Web users to have a good experience of Web usage across various devices and platforms," Apisilp said.

Upcoming activities of the competition include a trip to Ayutthaya province to capture Thailand's magnificence in photographs. The competition will run up to March 30. Those who are interested in participating in the Web development contest can visit http://html5Thailand.com