HTML5 is regarded by many as the way of the future due to its ability to let developers build advanced Web-based apps which can run on any device, requiring only a standard browser. Major game developer Electronic Arts (EA), in particular, is set to release an HTML5-based game called Strike Fortress, complete with advanced 3D graphics.

Many believe HTML5 will lead a shift toward cloud-based computing, rendering native platform-dependent apps obsolete. They may be right, as a recent report from BI Intelligence suggests that the move to HTML5 is coming along quite nicely.

In fact, HTML5 now makes up 34 percent of the Web, while HTML 4.01 and XHTML 1.0 sit at 20 percent and 46 percent, respectively.

The shift toward HTML5-based programs is important because it could change the way we compute in a very significant way. For example, distribution of apps would no longer be restricted to app stores and markets which are controlled by the owner of whichever platform you’re using at the time. HTML5 is distributed via the open Web, offering greater accessibility and freedom. It also offers greater freedom of monetization with most HTML5 apps free and ad-based today as it is.

The major factor holding down HTML5 at the moment is functionality, as traditional apps currently do a lot more than HTML5 apps. But developers like EA taking interest in the language and creating advanced programs like Strike Fortress shows that HTML5’s functionality is quickly closing in on that of traditional apps.

HTML5 also reflects the shift toward mobile – back in March, BI Intelligence predicted that tablet sales will approach 500 million per year by 2015, eclipsing PC sales. Add in the popularity of smartphones and the fact that there will soon be entire mobile platforms based around HTML5, and its dominance seems more likely.

Want to learn more about HTML5? Then be sure to attend HTML5 Summit- a DEVCON5 Event, collocated with ITEXPO West 2012 taking place Oct. 2-5, in Austin, TX. HTML5 has the potential to revolutionize user interfaces, challenge the status quo and change the future of both desktop and mobile web experiences. Join fellow web developers, designers, and architects, as well as technology leaders and business strategists who will gather in Austin to learn strategies and tactics to implement and execute HTML5. For more information on registering for the HTML5 Summit click here.

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