NG Collaborative Working Environments in Remote and Rural Areas

1. NG Collaborative Working Environments in Remote and Rural Areas Collaborative Working EnvironmentsCall 5 Preparatory Workshop April 13th 2005Carlos Ralli UcendoTelefónica I+D

2. Index • eRural Reference Scenario • Ad-hoc Rural Networks (ARNs) • Key Technical Areas • Upper Layer Middleware • Collaboration Tools • Validating Applications • Other Challenges

3. Remote & Rural Settings Scenario CWE to increase co-workers efficiency & improve processes Several Specific issues when working in rural/remote locations • eRural Example Applications • Rural inspections, Fishery and/or Forestry inventory. • A Company offering products in customers remote premises • Increase Business success (product data, support information) • Head Office, Branch offices and on move commercials (dyn. workflows) • Livestock Sanitary Services Company • Save Financial and Human resources • Sensors, location, wearable computers, Software Agents, Communities • Platforms to deal with Humanitarian Aid • Improve Coordination and operability of Emergency groups • Compilation, Process and distribution real time data • Multimodal Interfaces, wearable computers

4. GPS Augmented Reality Interface Eagles Route Eagles Disturbing Element (Environmentalists) Motorized Camera Mobile Remote & Rural Settings Scenario (II) • e-Rural Expert Group Vision • 2 landscape architects in a car evaluating a windfarm project • Interaction: Head Office, Environmentalists groups, HW, SW Agents • Consider Local Knowledge: Ad-hoc Communities • Provide public information about environmental care actions Complete story-line & details: eRural Expert Group Results

5. Ad-Hoc Rural Networks (ARNs) Short/medium range networks used by in-field workers & devices • External Connectivity: Wireless Mobile & Wireless Fixed • Internal Topology: Short range communication methods • ARN Gateway: Signalling, Policies, Profiles & Status • Key Features: • Reconfigurability: Seamless Assembly/Disassembly of Device/Terminals • Autonomy: Service provision while Disconnected

6. Upper Layer Middleware Enable Multimedia Rich Collaboration Services Make Applications & Services aware of: • Advanced Network Services (QoS, Mobility, Security) • ARNs Reconfigurability & Autonomy • Context Awareness Technologies • Advanced Devices & Terminal Capabilities Developed over a 4G Service Network Platform • End-to-end transparent communications (IPv6) • Discovery, selection and aggregation of Access Networks • Vertical Roaming (IPv6 Mobility) • Terminal or Session Mobility: SIP/IMS Mobility • QoS Management, Secured connections, multicast, etc.

7. Collaboration Tools Address Current and New Rural Scenarios (End-user involvement) P2P: Peers (equal entities) directly exchange service data Person-to-person, person-to-machine, machine-to-machine Services Components • Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) • Reusable and Interoperable Service & Application Components Information and other Resources • Data and Resources Dynamic discovery and allocation • Grids, Web services, P2P data sharing • Ad-hoc Communities: Peers discovery Data Exchange & Presentation • Semantic compatibility. Models & Modeling techniques • Security: IPR, Privacy, Integrity, Encryption, non-repudiation, etc. • Multimodal Context aware Interfaces (Contextualization, Ambient Int) • Augmented Reality: VR elements overlaying real scenarios

8. Validating Applications Rural CWE are innovative & complex environments • Continuous Tests are needed to provide feedback to designers/devel. • RLL: End-users involved since the beginning in the research process. Performance and Integration Trials • Why: Test Platform & Collaboration tools • Where: Distributed/virtual Laboratory (Large Testbeds) • Who: Developers • What: Platform/Collaboration tools (isolated and combined) Rural Living Labs (RLL) • Why: Concrete & Validate Vision about CWE in rural settings • Where: Rural Living Labs involving real users • Who: Developers + In-field rural workers • What: Incremental Usable Environments

9. Other Challenges • Business/Organizational Challenges • CWE also to improve company processes • Enterprise Virtual Communities: Avoid work replication & boost innovation • Efficient Data discovery/allocation • Complex Intelligent SW Agents might be able to update Workflows • Create a platform for equal Cooperation relationships • P2P stands for Peers = equal collaborators • Centralized services are not adequate for such relationships • Create of Real Added Valueprofitable Services. • A must for feasible and sustainable CWE • Social Challenges • Remote and Rural areas will demand user-friendly CWE platforms. • Education using traditional & E-learning tools and IT familiarization actions are needed prior to deploy full working CWE in rural areas. • Consider cooperation at a European and Global Scale in order to share knowledge and boost economic growth in undeveloped areas.

10. Thanks! Questions ? Remote Settings & Rural Areas Scenario main contributors: Boriana koleva University of Nottingham bnk@cs.nott.ac.uk Liliana Casallas Hewlett Packard liliana.casallas@hp.com Mariano Navarro Tragsatec mnc@tragsatec.es Preben Morgensen Aarhus University pmogensen@daimi.au.dk Luigi Fusco European Space Agency luigi.fusco@esa.int John Nolan European Commission john.nolan@cec.eu.int Carlos Ralli (Rapporteur) Telefónica I+D ralli@tid.es Expert Group Contact: Isidro Laso European Commissionisidro.laso@cec.eu.int