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Agents and Middleware in the IST Agents and Middleware in the IST Programme - a Vision and Related CallsProgramme - a Vision and Related Calls
Dr. Max LemkeDr. Max Lemke
EUROPEAN COMMISSIONDirectorate-General Information Society
Essential Information Society Technologies and Infrastructures
Technologies for information processing and management, communications and networks
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Research versus Market TrendsResearch versus Market Trends
Research Trends• active networks &
agents• component-based
software• grid technologies• . . .
Market Trends• advanced telecom services• application service provision• community computing• . . .
What do these trends lead to ?
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Active NetworkingActive Networking• Today’s networks: reprogrammable only by vendors• Active Networks: receipt and execution of active packets • By opening network nodes service providers are freed from:
– vendor independent implementations
– time-consuming standardisation processes
– work-arounds to implement functionality
• Components of Active Networks – programmable networking infrastructure
– active packets (e.g. mobile agents)
– programming language (e.g. JAVA)
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Agent TechnologiesAgent Technologies• Agents - active information processing
- migration through the network• Platforms differ by - operating System
- architectural choices• Two main approaches - FIPA
- MASIF• Standard properties:
autonomous, interacting, re-active, pro-active• Other attributes: intelligent, mobile, multiagents, holonic,
trusted, cognitive capabilities
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Application Service ProvidersApplication Service Providers
ASPs manage and deliver application capabilities on a subscription basis to multiple users across a WAN
• remote access to hosted applications• flat rate per user business model• on his own predefined computing platform
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Application Portals: Application Portals: A possible future scenario ?A possible future scenario ?
Application Portals allowing a user to select a set of application services irrespective of
the platform or organizationthrough which the service is provided
Today’s ISPs do not own network resources
==> future APs do not own computer resources
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Potential Roles of Application PortalsPotential Roles of Application Portals• provide all integration technologies
– to front all applications– to integrate with in-house systems
• ensure confidentiality and integrity
• manage hardware and networking resources including licensing issues
• take responsibilities for resources consumedi.e. provide settlements between providers and a single invoice to the user including secure payments
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Roadmap of Related Calls - WP 2001Roadmap of Related Calls - WP 2001RTD
Action Line IV.2.1Real-Time
Distributed Systems
Take-upAction Line IV.2.4Communication,
Computation,Networks
Call 6Open:Jan. 2001Close:April 2001
real time distributedsystems
knowledge-basedcognitive vision systems
distributed controlsystems
agent technologies middleware for distributed
applications embedded vision and/or
control systems
open architectures, technologies, tools for ASP open and reusable middleware for deployment of AS service management frameworks
Call 7Open:June 2001Close:Oct. 2001
Application Service Provision (ASP)Cross Programme Action Line 12
RTD & Take-up
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““Take-up”Take-up”
“Aimed at transferring leading-edge as well as established but insufficiently deployed methodologies and technologies to industry and other organisations in
order to achieve greater efficiency”
timeinnovators early adopters early majority
Technology TransferTechnology TransferRTDRTD Commercial PhaseCommercial Phase
“T a k e - u p”
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Take-up TypesTake-up Types• Trials (users & suppliers):
– evaluation of promising, yet not fullyestablished technologies & solutions
– targets early adopters+ early majority
• Best Practice (users):
– promote take-up of well established technologies & methods
– targets early majority
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TRIAL CharacteristicsTRIAL Characteristics• Objectives: adaptation, introduction and evaluation of
technologies in applications• Technology: emerging, but NOT established• Consortium: user(s) - supplier(s) - expert(s)• Innovation: use of advanced technologies in applications• Risk: applicability of technologies / application benefits • Work done: user: specification, integration, verification
supplier: adaptation, customization, integration
• Beneficiaries: user: commercial advantage of first use
supplier: establish/broaden his market• Outcome: advanced prototype
public high quality final report
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Best Practice CharacteristicsBest Practice Characteristics• Objectives: improve processes or way of operation by use
and evaluation of technologies
• Technology: well founded, mature and established, but insufficiently deployed
• Consortium: user(s), eventual subcontractor(s)
• Innovation: use of advanced technologies in applications
• Risk: applicability and benefits in the application
• Work done: experiment, evaluate, document
• Beneficiaries: user
• Outcome: public high quality final report
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Adaptation and Introduction ofAdaptation and Introduction ofMobile and Intelligent Agent TechnologiesMobile and Intelligent Agent Technologiesin new Services and Industrial Applicationsin new Services and Industrial Applications
Examples: Users:– service creation: all level service providers,
customers– information filtering: all levels – electronic commerce: businesses trading
electronically– network management: network operators
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Adaptation and Introduction ofAdaptation and Introduction ofMiddleware for Management of Process Flow in Middleware for Management of Process Flow in Distributed Applications with Shared ResourcesDistributed Applications with Shared Resources
to new Services and Industrial Applicationsto new Services and Industrial ApplicationsExamples for technologies: – distributed object broker architectures (CORBA, EJB, …)
– application servers, integration servers , web integration
Examples for Applications:– Web-based distributed applications
(distributed engineering, data mining, OLTP, network management…in aerospace, automotive, banking, telecom, new services, …)
– Use of distributed object broker architectures for component-based integration with legacy systems (on corporate or virtual enterprise level)
– Development environments and tools
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Integrated Vision and ControlIntegrated Vision and Control
• intelligent integration of embedded vision systems in production environments
• introduction of control systems
• Technical focus:– networked systems– off the shelf components– integrated with production planning tools
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Thematic ClusteringThematic Clustering• Multiplier effect in reaching European industry:
– small individual projects - limited reach
– obtain critical mass of results per theme / industrial sector
– stimulation of further technology transfer and replication
– targeted dissemination to industrial audiences
– allow efficient technology transfer across Europe
• Increased efficiency of co-ordination:– experienced principal contractors
– common interface to the EC
– harmonised and simplified procedures for reporting, monitoring, reviews, cost statements, centralized payment
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Thematic ClustersThematic Clusters
E C
CoordinatorPrinciple
ContractorPrinciple
Contractor. . .
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Activity Activity
. . .. . .. . .
Thematic Cluster <N>
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Existing ClustersExisting Clusters Integrated Machine Vision
European Take-up of Essential Information Society Technologies - Integrated Machine
Vision (EUTIST-IMV)
• Activities:KNOT,3D-INLINE,SAFEGLASS, IMBUS, IMTEX,CV-ADCONTROL,ASPIC-LINUX SEESAW,SIGPROEL,TOPCAPI
• Principal Contractors:– CiS-TZM (D) (co-ordinator)– Satakunta Polytechnic (FIN)– EPCC (UK)
• EC responsible: Max Lemke
MedicalEuropean Take-up of Essential Information
Society Technologies - Technologies for Medical applications
(EUTIST-M) • Activities:
CREAM,ISAC,ADAM,IONIC,DISMEDI,DEAF
• Principal Contractors:– UPV (E) (co-ordinator)– ENEA (I)– CINECA (I)
• EC responsible: Tom Clausen
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EUTIST-IMV: StatisticsEUTIST-IMV: Statistics• 10 experiments• Average funding per experiment: ~ 270 KEURO• Cluster Work Packages: ~ 10% of Funding• 3 Principal Contractors, 32 Members• Average 3 - 4 partners per trial• Duration
– Cluster: 30 months– Experiments: 12 - 24 months
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Eligible Costs in Eligible Costs in Trial or Best Practice MeasuresTrial or Best Practice Measures
No difference between universities and companies• Personnel 100%
• Durable equipment 50%
• Consumables 50%
• Travel & Subsistence 50%
• Computing 50% (only 3rd party invoices)
• Subcontracting 50%
• IPR Protection 0%
• Other Costs 100% (central services, e.g. cluster web-site)
• Overheads 0%
• Co-ordination (cluster co-ordinator only, by above categories)
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Contract Contract Model Contract “Accompanying Measures specific to Technology Take-up Measures”– Standard contract prepared by EC, signed by EC and PCs
http://www.cordis.lu/fp5/mod-cont.htm (DE, EN, FR)
– Annex I: Description of Work
– Annex II: General Conditions (standard, provided by EC)
• option 3 (<100% funding, participants own knowledge)
• suboption 2 (use oriented)
• model membership agreement (several members)
– CPF (contract preparation forms) for IST take-up prepared by co-ordinator with ELECTRA tool: http://www.cordis.lu/ist/cont-prep.htmwith contributions from ALL participants
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Recommendations for Proposers in AL IV.2.4Recommendations for Proposers in AL IV.2.4
• Individual proposals per action - no a priori clustering• Provision of ~10% of requested funding for cluster WPs• Cluster WPs could be carried out by partners
– who are experienced in technology transfer– who are neutral related to competing users or suppliers
• Partners for Cluster WPs could be but do not have to be– included in proposal– foreseen in proposal as NN partners
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Multinationality RequirementsMultinationality Requirementsfor Take-up Proposalsfor Take-up Proposals
• Principal Contractors have to be single or have to fulfil multinationality requirements for RTD projects
• In case of one Principle Contractor, no multinationality requirements for Members
• Individual proposals must have a European Dimension, e.g. results and experiences are of broader interest and are disseminated across Europe
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EvaluationEvaluationEvaluation Criteria• Scientific/technological quality and innovation• Community added value • Contribution to Community social objectives• Economic development and S&T prospects• Resources, Partnership, and Management
Evaluation Manual for the IST Programme: • Additional or specific elements per action type• Scores and Thresholds per action type• No anonymity requirements for Support Measures
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More informationMore informationInfosheet:Infosheet: http://www.cordis.lu/ist/ka4/ipcn/take-up.htmhttp://www.cordis.lu/ist/ka4/ipcn/take-up.htm
IST Programme:IST Programme: http://www.cordis.lu/isthttp://www.cordis.lu/ist
Call Info: Call Info: http://www.cordis.lu/fp5/src/calls.htm
Evaluation Manual:Evaluation Manual: http://www.cordis.lu/fp5/src/evalman.htm
Standard Contracts:Standard Contracts: http://www.cordis.lu/fp5/mod-cont.htm
HPCN TTN Network:HPCN TTN Network: http://www.hpcn-ttn.orghttp://www.hpcn-ttn.org
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ContactsContacts• For all administrative informationFor all administrative information
IST Information DeskIST Information DeskTel. (32-2) 29-68596 Tel. (32-2) 29-68596 Fax (32-2) 29-68388Fax (32-2) 29-68388
E-mail:[email protected]:[email protected]
• For discussion of content and ideasFor discussion of content and ideasMax Lemke, Tom Clausen (Take-up)Max Lemke, Tom Clausen (Take-up)
Merce Griera I Fisa (RTD)Merce Griera I Fisa (RTD) EUROPEAN COMMISSIONDirectorate-General Information Society
Essential Information Society Technologies and Infrastructures
Technologies for information processing and management, communications and networks (E1)
Tel. (32-2) 29-91575/94942/68591 Fax (32-2) 29-68389 [max.lemke][tom.clausen][merce.griera-i-fisa]@cec.eu.int