Summary:
] The possibility of the World Wide Web Consortium pursuing
] more efficient XML through a binary, rather than text,
] format is causing concerns over interoperability and
] questions about the future direction of XML.

Sound bites:
] XML is fast becoming a widely used way of formatting and
] saving business documents such as purchase orders. But
] for certain applications--sending data to set-top boxes,
] for instance, and offering interactive programs on cell
] phones--representing data using XML is simply too bulky,
] say proponents for more efficient XML.
...
] If XML were zippier, say some, cell phone companies, for
] example, could meet consumer demand for more complex
] programs. The Air Force, too, has expressed interest in
] using speedier XML formats for embedded computing
] applications, such as those found in fighter jets (click
] here for related PDF).
]
] A W3C committee recently recommended that the group
] address the problem by moving away from the traditional
] way of saving XML data--in text format--and instead
] create a standard for a binary format. W3C working group
] recommendations are generally taken up as formal
] standards efforts, which means the group is one step
] closer to a major change in the XML standard.

Faster XML ahead? | CNET News.com