E5 – LABORATORY FOR OPEN SYSTEMS AND NETWORKS

Name of the project: Future Internet collaboration platform
Duration: 1. 7. 2011 – 30. 6. 2013

Abstract

Future Internet collaboration platforms are described as multi service platforms connected with other external infrastructures and applications (e.g. Content repositories, Social networking, Learning Content Management Systems (LCMS), User management, Content Delivery Networks, Authoring tools, etc.), which support synchronous and asynchronous cross domain human-centric collaboration. The development of Future Internet collaboration platforms are facing a series of research challenges that are particularly closely linked with the problems of personalized approach to the use of services, interoperability of included infrastructures, provision of adequate security and privacy of users, efficient distribution of large amounts of data, interoperability with different technologies (e.g. mobile technologies), etc.

The project will focus on the development of certain services that relate to solving the above mentioned problems and are in accordance with the guidelines of the development Future Internet collaboration platforms, such as development of novel usable graphical authentication mechanisms and flexible content access control mechanisms dedicated to be used by the new mobile devices and technologies for advanced collaboration services, development of skill and competence-based services which will improve efficiency and effectiveness of personalized content search, development of content distribution mechanisms which will contribute to the problem of effective distribution of content to end users. New solutions will be implemented into an existing videoconferencing platform VCC (Virtual Conference Centre), which was developed with partners in the European project GLOBAL. With the new services upgraded collaboration platform, would be evaluated and validated in a real environment with organizing several distributed virtual events (lectures, workshops, conferences), where participants will have the possibility of active participation.

Objectives of the project are in line with the professional activity of the industrial partner. They are aligned with their needs and market presence. The full implementation will allow the upgrading of their current services and commercial activity and will guarantee full competitiveness of the respective market. The results of the project will also contribute to greater recognition of Slovenia in the EU R&D activities on Future Internet, Collaborative Systems, Technology Enhanced Learning, and Trust & Security in the Information Society.

Significance for science

The project is addressing several important and challenging research problems that are part of the Future Internet Networks and Enterprise Systems scientific agenda. Considering to the nature of the project (general applied research project) its importance for development of science will especially be in the development of new product based on the achievements that are beyond the state of the art as defined in the scientific agenda of future internet collaborative systems, content distribution systems, privacy and new security solutions in advanced systems and networks. The impact will be in the development and adoption of new challenging technologies and services. The major importance is certainly in the investigation of a number of technological problems and the associated policy domains that have bearing on the network and service infrastructure elements of the Internet of tomorrow. The research presented will have impact in the area of the engineering and scientific field known as Future Internet Technologies, Digital Agenda but in same time the impact will be noticeable in the industrial environment as new competitive services to be put on the market will be enabled.

The project will define and implement advanced services and solutions that are necessary for future internet collaborative platforms and easy and efficient integration of various systems (collaboration and social network platforms, content repositories, and LCMS) in the novel Future Internet infrastructures based on open source and new developed solutions. Scientific contributions are expected in different areas. Provided security and privacy are the key requirements in conducting electronic business over unprotected public networks. In this area the project will contribute to the development of novel usable security mechanisms dedicated to be used the new mobile devices and technologies for advanced collaboration services, for example graphical authentication mechanisms and flexible content access control mechanisms. Skill and competence-based services will improve efficiency and effectiveness of personalized content search, while content distribution mechanisms will contribute to the problem of effective distribution of content to end users. These new components of the platform in addition to the contribution to the science development will enable to the industrial partner an offer of challenging and competitive services on the market.

Significance for Slovenia

Envisaged project results are of most importance for the economy and developing strategy. As recent economical changes require more and more people to obtain new skills in a timely and effective manner, skill and competence-based services are becoming a critical factor for individuals, companies and other institutions. The project is contributing to strengthening the investment in human capital by providing effective and efficient skill and competence based services, integrated in a collaborative platform. Security and privacy are crucial concerns of modern information and communication systems. Developed security and privacy mechanisms contribute to bridging the gap between current and desired state of information security and privacy provision. Novel graphical authentication mechanisms have big market potential as they are applicable to any mobile device with a touch-screen interface, such as iPhone, Android OS-based devices, iPad etc. Last but not least, the collaboration platform with P2P-based content distribution service will increase the opportunities of individuals, communities and companies to provide and exchange content in a more efficient and cost effective way and targeted to a larger set of devices.

The contribution provided by this research project is a part of the common European effort and commercial and societal ambitions in building the Internet of the Future, new competitive services on the market and better economical and societal future. The project is also strongly related to the national priority areas where one of them is the information-communication technologies in line with the development of competitive new services based on these technologies..

The research and development objectives are in line with the professional activity of the industrial project partner. They are aligned with their needs and market presence. The full implementation will allow the upgrading of their current services and commercial activity and will guarantee full competitiveness on the respective market. The proposed project’s research program is a contribution to the major questions and dilemmas to be solved in the design of the Future Internet information society. As such it will enable Slovenia to be more visible and actively present in the EU R&D activities on Future Internet, Collaborative Systems, Technology Enhanced Learning, and Trust & Security in the Information Society. The project results can represent Slovenian contribution to the Future Internet Forum. Laboratory for Open Systems is already deeply involved in the activity of the Future Internet Assembly (FIA) as it was a host of the first FIA in Bled where the Bled Declaration on R&D in the area of Future Internet was adopted. The project will also benefit from and contribute to the EU FP7 UNITE (UpgradiNg ICT excellence by strengthening cooperation between research Teams in an enlarged Europe) project. In UNITE Laboratory for Open Systems and Networks has an aim to reinforce the cooperation between European research teams in important areas from the future of internet. Leadership of this activity will enable us to more effectively disseminate our results in EU and have better access to the complementary results of other European research institutions.

Project results will be integrated into the undergraduate and graduate studies at University of Ljubljana, University of Maribor, Jozef Stefan International Postgraduate School and DOBA Faculty where members of the project team are involved in the teaching process. We also expect at least one young researcher to obtain his/her doctoral degrees during the course of the project.

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