Mozilla: Fennec to Revolutionize Mobile Browsing

Fennec, the mobile version of the Firefox browser, will simplify and enhance Web browsing on cell phones and usher in an era of intense developer innovation, the chairman of the Mozilla Foundation and of Mozillla Corp. said Thursday.

Access to data, sites and applications on the Internet shouldn't be limited by the type of device being used, and Fennec will make that possible, said Mitchell Baker during a keynote speech at the Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco.

"The key to the Internet should be the same. The core is information: What can I get to and what can I do with it?" she said.

While technical constraints affect mobile browsing, psychological constraints affect the experience on the PC, caused by usage habits formed over decades, Baker said.

She'd rather have technical barriers to overcome than psychological ones, so she's hopeful for what Fennec can accomplish.

"Because it's a new area, mental constraints of what we can do ... are much less," she said. "Mental constraints are often the hardest to get past."

Fennec will provide a totally open development platform, making Firefox the platform that is most likely to lead to the vision of full access to the Web via mobile devices, she said.

While Fennec is still at a very early stage, Baker encouraged developers in the audience to join the effort, which will generate the type of intense innovation that has been seen in the Web 2.0 space, she said.