Web services: the cement for mobile, context-aware services
Application developers are desperate for
solutions, which they can use to offer and use mobile services
via the Internet, in one standardised manner. This would make
it significantly easier to search for and link services. But
before we get to that stage, a lot has to happen in 'development
land'. The application environment that the WASP project will
be realising will make it easier for providers of mobile services
to offer and manage their services, while searching, finding
and purchasing these services becomes easier for the users.
In addition, through the use of web services*,
these services will be able to utilise the intelligence of the
mobile network, something that is not easy at present. With
this simplification, WASP will help bring advanced mobile services
closer to the user.
Many people can no longer imagine daily life without a mobile
telephone. GSM technology – now so familiar that we often refer
to the mobile phone as 'the GSM' – is now making way for next
generation (3G) technologies like GPRS and UMTS. These networks,
which, like the Internet, are package-switched, enable new voice
and data services. In addition, the networks are becoming more
intelligent as they have access to information about the user,
such as the whereabouts of the user, or his personal profile.
With the aid of that information, service providers can now
develop services that adapt to the user, his preferences and
the (changing) environment. We also refer to these services
as context-aware services. A context-aware service could, as
an example, provide a tourist with a route covering all museums
in a certain area that interest him, based on his personal profile.
Once at the museum, he would then automatically receive further
information about the museum, its collection and the services
the museum offers – once again tailored to the requirements
and interests of the mobile tourist. Similar services can be
envisaged for new employees of large organisations who want
to learn to find their way around the company, for engineers
who need information en route about the objects to be repaired,
or for emergency services like police and ambulance.
However, the development of such services does require an application
environment that is transparent, dynamic, platform-independent
and highly tailored toward development convenience. The objective
of the WASP project is to develop such an application environment
for mobile, context-aware services. This environment consists,
on the one hand, of a mobile 3G platform that unlocks the information
and capacities in the network by means of web services. On the
other hand, the environment consists of an application platform
that dynamically connects the user with information and services
that are relevant to him. The WASP application environment has
the following characteristics:
- Applications are independent of the underlying platform
or the network used, and can operate in multi-operator and
multi-vendor environments
- Seamless integration between networks and services is possible
based on web services with clear, standardised interfaces
for information exchange
- Services, and multimedia services in particular, can be
adapted to the capacities of the network and the end user's
mobile device
- Services can be personalised
- Intelligent searching for relevant services in a broad and
dynamic range of services
- Combination of voice and data services
In the past, standards organisations such as OSA and Parlay
have called for such benefits. However, in practice, integration
with interfaces according to these standards remains a complex
issue. In addition, the relevant knowledge is hard to transfer.
This hampers rapid application development. Because of their
transparent approach, web services can potentially access a
much larger market. And because of the worldwide standardisation
of the publication, description and invocation of services,
knowledge regarding these services is transferred more easily.
The WASP project investigates the possibilities of this new
approach in the context of mobile, context-aware services.
Participating parties
- Telematica Instituut
- Ericsson
- Centre for Telematics and Information
Technology (University of Twente)
Duration
August 2002 - April 2004
Project manager
Johan Koolwaaij (Telematica Instituut)
Postbus 589
7500 AN Enschede
The Netherlands
E-mail: Johan.Koolwaaij@telin.nl.
Tel: +31 (0)53 485 04 48
*) a web service is
an application, available as a service via the Internet, described
and approachable in line with widely accepted standards.
