UNOBTRUSIVE TECHNOLOGY FOR THE INFORMATION SOCIETY
17 June 2003 - European Institute for Research and Strategic Studies in Telecommunications GmbH (EURESCOM)

Heidelberg. By the end of the decade, information and communication technologies will have become ubiquitous, invisible, and fully adapted to the user's needs. This vision of the near future is summarised under the term Ambient Intelligence. Eurescom project PROFIT has analysed the social and economic aspects of information and communication technologies in Ambient Intelligence environments. The main result of their first investigations: detailed knowledge of distinctive user identities is crucial for designing successful services, applications, and user interfaces.

The term Ambient Intelligence was coined by the Advisory Group to the European Community's Information Society Technology Programme. It means the convergence of ubiquitous computing, ubiquitous communication, and interfaces adapting to the user. Humans will be surrounded all the time wherever they are by unobtrusive, interconnected intelligent objects.

Furniture, vehicles, clothes, roads, even paint will be equipped with Ambient Intelligence. The concept of Ambient Intelligence provides a vision of the information society, which is characterised by high user-friendliness and individualised support for human interaction.

Making this vision come true is both a technological and a societal challenge. In their analysis of societal aspects, Eurescom project PROFIT examined a number of different axes of identity that users can have. These include gender, ethnic, and age identities, as well as class, group, and cultural identities. These identities can exist in individuals, families, and communities as well as in various multiple and hybrid forms. Another important overarching distinction is between public and private identities of a user.

'Understanding the different identities is essential to create user-centric services in Ambient Intelligence environments,' explains Peter Stollenmayer, the responsible Programme Manager at Eurescom. Based on the analysis of identities and other socio-economic aspects, the project will develop business models and recommendations for successful ICT services in Ambient Intelligence environments by May 2004.

http://www.eurescom.de

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