W3C, the World Wide Web Consortium, has announced ongoing financial backing from Adobe, Google and Microsoft to support the activities of the HTML Working Group.

Although WC3 announcement doesn't disclosed the amount of sponsorship funding that has been committed it states that it:

will enable W3C to provide additional staffing in support of the HTML Working Group's full range of activities, including editing several specifications and developing tests.

At this time W3C is looking for a Technical Editor to take on the role formerly undertaken by Ian "Hixie" Hickson who, as we reported last week, is now going to be working exclusively on the WHATWG HTML Living Standard.

Might the new funding be enough to speed up the delivery of the HTML5 standard?

Back in February 2011 W3C reckoned it still needed three years to achieve the specification - and it's estimate at that time of 2014 now seems optimistic.

Given the split between WHATWG and W3C, with WHATWG pressing ahead with standards that go well beyond HTML5 we really do need a final version of the standard - if only to know how much further WHATWG is going.

But if you are at HTML5 aficionado (and also of a technical disposition) who likes a tough challenge, there's currently a 1-year contract (with possibility of renewal) on offer.