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SEAMLESSproject overview

+D1.2

Trusted operational scenarios

Radoslav Delina (local coordinator) TU Kosice

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Objective

Specific targeted research project in the sixth Framework Programme

IST Call 4: Strategic objective: 2.4.13 Strengthening the Integration of the ICT

Research Effort in an Enlarged Europe Contract no: IST-FP6-26476

The SEAMLESS (Small Enterprises Accessing the Electronic Market of the Enlarged Europe by a Smart Service Infrastructure) project is intended to study, design, develop and experiment an advanced ICT-based service to enable a well-identified category of small enterprises, the so-called Craft & Trade companies, to access the eBusiness space created by the Single Electronic Market of the Enlarged Europe (SEEM) and play an active role in establishing and running frictionless dynamic collaborations.

In order to realise the above perspective, it is necessary to study in four domains, namely collaboration framework, knowledge and languages, technological infrastructure and user-oriented applications.

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Summary

Consortium Co-ordination: University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (Italy) Other universities: Kosice (Slovakia), Maribor (Slovenia), Poznan

(Poland), Stuttgart (Germany)

Research institutions: AITEX (Spain), CSTB (France) Software developers: ANTARA (Spain), ATC ROM (Romania), ISOFT

(Bulgaria),KELYAN (Italy), TIE (Netherlands)

Service providers: JAPTI (Slovenia), PRC SCCI (Slovakia), T-Online (Hungary)

Duration 30 months Start Jan 2006, End June 2008

Budget 2.800.000 Euro EC funding 1.800.000 Euro

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General solution

• Based on a global ontology and mediators– Data model, taxonomy, vocabulary– Mapping concepts and terms between English and local language

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Distributed Storage SystemDistributed Storage System

LegacySystemLegacySystem

To / from other Mediators

To / from other eServices

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Mediator Embedded Services

Mediator Embedded Services

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User Access ControlUser Access Control

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Workplan overview

WP1 – CollaborationFramework

WP1 – CollaborationFramework

WP2 – Knowledge

and Languages

WP2 – Knowledge

and Languages

WP6 – Dissemination and ExploitationWP6 – Dissemination and Exploitation

WP7 – Project Management and AssessmentWP7 – Project Management and Assessment

WP3 – Technological Infrastructure

WP3 – Technological Infrastructure

WP4 – Applications and Services

WP4 – Applications and Services

WP5 – Pilots in B&C and TEX sectorsWP5 – Pilots in B&C and TEX sectors

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Deployment objectives

Five + one pilots Two pilots in the B&C sector (Poland and Slovenia) Three pilots in the TEX sector (Romania, Slovakia, Spain) One “generic” pilot (Hungary) With partially overlapping ontologies and using 6+1 (English) languages To constitute an embryo of the SEAMLESS network

ERA co-ordination One or more pilots to be federated with Digital Ecosystem ongoing

initiatives Bottom-up network deployment by involving key players at the regional

scale Using existing funds to start-up sectoral/regional eRegistries with added-

value services Establishing inter-regional links to multiply the collaboration potential. Contributing to align European, national and regional RTD programmes Promoting and operating specific co-ordination and support actions And, finally, disseminating success cases and best practices

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Major Task of TU Kosice

New operational scenarios development including trust and confidence, regulatory and contractual issues.

• Development of operational strategies for increasing trust

• Trust building mechanisms (TBM) identification

• Analysis of the TBM for Seamless platform

• Level of trust added by each TBM

• Minimum set of TBM for joining the e-market

• Identification of specifics – dependence on the size, e-skills, type, …

• Design of the implementation strategies for each TBM

• Recommendations for the Seamless platform

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Analysis of TBMs

The purpose of the analysis was to:• Identify the most suitable sets of trust mechanisms for SEAMLESS,

• Identify a minimum set of TBMs needed to implement in initial phase,

• Identify future shifts in trust perception, acceptance and requirements according to e-experiences,

• Identify the most frequented patterns regarding the trust model.

List of investigated TBM:• 9 mechanisms - information quality, certificates, references, feedback-based

reputation, ranking, contract execution support, online dispute resolution, escrow services and standardization

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Analysis of TBMs - questionnaire

• 103 companies, 6 countries, SMEs mainly (14% large companies), various e-business skills, Tex and C&B sectors with few exceptions (IT, banking, airline services..)

The questions1. How significant is the level of added trust according to a particular trust

element or trust building mechanism ?

2. Which trust building mechanisms are necessary for joining an e-market?

3. Which types of mediators would be most acceptable?

4. What business model is most acceptable for SMEs regarding fees policy?

5. What differences are there between different sizes of companies and other relevant factors regarding trust perception and acceptance?

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Trust building scenarios

• Technology trust– Identity management, access control, data encryption and security (more

in D3.1).

• Information quality– Contact and general information – subset validated by trusted mediator

– Information about the provided services and products – supported by the ontologies (allow to specify detailed description, references to el. documentation, etc.).

– Other - Status of the company (i.e. valid, winding-up, bankrupt) - integrate if provided by on-line services.

• Certificates– Contact to responsible organization for validation.

– List of common international and local certificates (i.e. ISO).

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Trust building scenarios

• References– To existing partners (registered on the platform or external, referenced

company should have the possibility to approve reference).

– To conducted business (i.e. realized buildings, collections etc.).

• Reputation– Based on the positive/negative feedbacks from other partners.

– Divided into categories (i.e. product quality, on-time delivery, payment).

– Discussion forums can be useful but not generally required.

• Ranking– Aggregated real number value (graphical notation ).

– Primary based on the feedbacks.

– Other sources - statistics about the business activities collected by the platform – time to response, number of transactions, etc.

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Trust building scenarios

• Contract execution support– Standard clauses and contract templates (possibly provided by the

specialized company) – localized in the ontology.

– Negotiation tracking (required for ODR).

– Integration of output from the negotiation into contract proposal.

• requested by more experienced companies

• Online dispute resolution– Definition: Broad range of out of court procedures for solving various

conflicts between business partners.

– Negotiation moderated by the mediator - partners will try to find solution.

– Mediator will investigate the problem and suggest solution.

– Add technical support based on the “issue tracking” system with integrated communication tools.

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Trust building scenarios

• Escrow services– Definition: Trusted third party deposits and distribute funds according to

contract conditions agreed by the business partners.

– Banks are considered to be trusted Escrow providers.

– Outsourced more complex solutions (with contract execution tracking to check contract conditions)

• acceptance depends on the e-skills

• Standardization– Supported by the ontologies - standardized dictionaries, standardized

structure of business documents, etc.

– Standard rules for users registered on the platform - in code of conduct, terms and conditions agreement, etc.

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General conclusions

• Implementation of the TBMs into:• registration on the platform

• search for partners

• negotiation and contract proposal creation

• contract execution phase.

• Generally, companies prefer simple trusted services for low fee or free of charge. Acceptance of sophisticated specialized solution for the fee increases by increased e-skills.

• Future trends – integrated solutions (for example Escrow services and ODR)

• SEAMLESS should be an integration platform for various TBMs.• Short term and long term strategy formulation• Start with the integration of “simple mechanisms”, extend provided

functionalities according to the e-skills of SMEs companies.

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Negotiation and contact proposal model

Send RFI

Answer to RFISelect candidates for RFX

Send RFQ/RFP

Send quotation

Select winner

Send contract proposal

Approve / Change contract proposal

Change contract proposal

Cancel negotiation

Buyer Seller

Winner

To contract execution

No candidates

RFI

RFQ/RFP

Contract proposal

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Contract execution and settlement phase model

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Thank you for you attention!

for more information visit:

www.seamless-eu.org