Pervasive Computing: The Mobile World

This book describes a new class of computing devices which are becoming omnipresent in everyday life. They make information access and processing easily available for everyone from anywhere at any time. Mobility, wireless connectivity, diversity, and ease-of-use are the magic keywords of Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing. Devices include handheld computers, mobile phones, interactive television, smart cards, household appliances as well as intelligent automotive equipment. The book covers these front-end devices as well as their operating systems and the back-end infrastructure which integrate these pervasive components into a seamless IT world. A strong emphasis is placed on the underlying technologies and standards applied when building up pervasive solutions. These fundamental topics include commonly used terms such as XML, WAP, UMTS, GPRS, Bluetooth, Jini, transcoding, and cryptography, to mention just a few. Voice, Web Application Servers, Portals, Web Services, and Synchronized and Device Management are new in the second edition. Besides a comprehensive state-of-the-art description of the Pervasive Computing technology itself, this book gives an overview of today's real-life applications and accompanying service offerings. M-Commerce, e-business, networked home, travel, and finance are exciting examples of applied Ubiquitous Computing.