John Simmons is an industry recognised expert on Web media standards. He drove Microsoft’s efforts to define DRM-interoperable encoding, adaptive bitrate streaming, the collaboration with Google, Comcast, Netflix and the W3C for HTML5 Media Extensions and a multi-year Apple collaboration to develop the Common Media Application Format.

John’s standards evangelism across the media and entertainment industry led to the creation of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) Web Application Video Ecosystem (WAVE) project, a 60-company collaboration to adopt ISO/IEC and W3C standards for streaming media on a global scale.
John received the CTA 2017 Technology Leadership Award for the creation of the WAVE Project and the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) 2019 Emmy Award for the Microsoft, Google, Comcast, Netflix and W3C “Standardisation of HTML5, Encrypted Media Extensions (EME) and Media Source Extensions (MSE) for a Full TV Experience”.

John is well known across both the broadcast and IP-based commercial media industry for his grasp of the business and technical forces behind the digital transformation of commercial media. His insight and guidance will enable the Alliance for Open Media to assume a leadership role in this global transformation.

John is the chair and editor of the CTA WAVE Content Specification Task Force.