Fast and Efficient Context-Aware Services

Fast and Efficient Context-Aware Services gives a thorough explanation of the state-of-the-art in Context-Aware-Services (CAS). The authors describe all major terms and components of CAS, defining context and discussing the requirements of context-aware applications and their use in 3rd generation services. The text covers the service creation problem as well as the network technology alternatives to support these services and discusses active and programmable networks in detail. It gives an insight into the practical approach followed in the CONTEXT project, supplying concrete guidelines for building successful context-aware services.

Fast and Efficient Context-Aware Services:
* Provides comprehensive and in-depth information on state-of-the-art CAS technology.
* Proposes a system architecture for CAS creation and delivery, discussing service management and active network layers.
* Describes the service lifecycle functional architecture, covering service authoring, customization, invocation, and assurance.
* Explains system design considerations and details, system evaluation criteria, test-bed requirements, and evaluation results.

Fast and Efficient Context-Aware Services is an invaluable resource for telecommunications developers, researchers in academia and industry, advanced students in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, telecoms operators, as well as telecommunication management and operator personnel.

Danny Raz is a member of the computer science department at the Technion, Israel. His primary research interest is the theory and application of management-related problems in IP networks. Danny has published many papers and authored a book in the area of computer networking. He served as the general chair of OpenArch 2000, and as a TPC member for many conferences including INFOCOM 2002-2003, OpenArch 2000-2001-2003, IM-NOMS 2001-2005, and as an Editor in the Journal of Communications and Networks (JCN).

Arto Juhola has been with Technical Research Centre of Finland since 2001. He manages the EU IST CONTEXT project formed by Alex Galis. Arto has written largely red tape and project proposal aspects, and has contributed to one conference paper within the EU IST project.

Alex Galis is a Visiting Professor in the Telecommunications Systems Research Group of the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University College London. He is the author and co-author of more that 125 papers and technical reports and 4 books in the areas of programmable networks and services, selfware and autonomic management, context sensitive communications, programmable GRIDs and ambient networks.

Joan Serrat-Fernandez has worked at Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya since 1977. Recently, he has participated in the IST-FAIN, IST-WINMAN and IST-CONTEXT, three EU projects dealing with management of active networks, IP/WDM and context aware services respectively. Prof. Serrat is a contributor in technical, scientific fora and magazines. He is also co-author/co-editor of four technical books.