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Mozilla bets big with new R&D group

Ajaxers Almaer and Galbraith get involved

By Kelly Fiveash • Get more from this author

Posted in Software & Security, 14th October 2008 11:06 GMT

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Mozilla Labs has huddled together a new group of wonks to research and develop tools for the “open web”.

Dubbed Developer Tools Lab, Mozilla hopes the assemblage of developers – to be led by fresh signings to the cause Dion Almaer and Ben Galbraith – will big up open standards and make the interweb a better place for ordinary peeps to enjoy.

"We believe that there's tremendous opportunity for innovation in tools that increase developer productivity, enable compelling user experiences, and promote the use of open standards," Mozilla said in a corporate blog post.

"Everything is on the table, from services to software, and we're looking forward to working with web developers from around the world to create, experiment and play with new ideas."

Almaer and Galbraith co-founded the Ajax Experience and the Ajaxian community, and they have now joined Mozilla full time to head up the Developer Tools Lab group.

“Mozilla is placing a big bet, not only on us, but in the developer tools space,” wrote Almaer yesterday on the Ajaxian blog.

It’s not clear at this stage what that move means for their other open standards commitments. Almaer, for example has previously worked closely on Google’s own online/offline apps development project, Gears. ®

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