Abstract
The goal of this paper is to report on the design of a novel content-centric future Internet platform that can support added value services incorporating mobility, context awareness and enhanced security and privacy. We present the proposed platform together with a use case study, dealing with the provision of added-value health services, consisting in the safe and accurate management of medicine prescriptions. Both the design of the platform and the use case are the results of work performed in the context of the European Research project Convergence [1]. © 2011 IIMC.

Abstract
ATM, the Asynchronous Transfer Mode cell-based switching technique, was finally recognized in 1992 by the relevant International standardization entities, as the switching and multiplexing solution for implementing the future Broadband Integrated Services Digital Network (B-ISDN). Because of its service-independent characteristics. ATM will provide B-ISDN with capabilities for integrated support of a wide range of services in a very flexible and efficient way. Transmission of multimedia services in the B-ISDN is currently being addressed by several Study Groups of ITU-T and ETSI. In addition to identifying the required network capabilities and to defining the functional model of multimedia services in the B-ISDN, the possible alternatives for performing the multiplexing operation of the different components of a multimedia application are also being evaluated. The MPEG2 standard (ISO/IEC 13818), which is now in its final phase of specification, is being accepted worldwide as the appropriate coding technique to implement almost all types of video applications and multimedia services involving good-quality fullmotion video. It seems therefore important to evaluate the alternatives for performing the multiplexing operation of the elementary components of an MPEG2-based multimedia application over ATM networks. In fact, different Study Groups of both ITU-T and ETSI, as well as the ATM Forum, are now evaluating alternatives for. mapping MPEG2 streams into ATM cells.

Abstract
This paper proposes a framework for a virtual classroom application based on a Virtual Collaboration System (VCS), which is being developed under the VISNET II Network of Excellence (NoE)1, and discusses adaptation technologies that enable seamless access to classroom sessions while intellectual property and digital rights are managed. The proposed virtual classroom framework enables academic institutions to conduct their collaborative lecture series, to which registered students will be able to attend remotely and interactively over the Internet. Furthermore, the general public may also follow the classroom sessions under certain restrictions imposed by the participating institutions. In order to facilitate seamless access to a heterogeneous audience that is composed of users with various preferences and privileges accessing the classroom sessions over different network infrastructures and using terminal devices with diverse capabilities, context-aware content adaptation is required to meet constraints imposed by the usage context and enhance the quality of the user experience. Thus, this paper describes the concepts and functionalities of a context-aware content adaptation platform that suits the requirements of such multimedia application scenarios. This platform is able to consume low-level contextual information to infer higher-level contexts, and thus decide the need for and type of adaptation operations to be performed upon the content. In this way, it is aimed to meet usage constraints while also satisfying restrictions imposed by the Digital Rights Management (DRM) to govern the use of protected content.

Abstract
The use of formal probabilistic modelling together with advanced statistical inference in communications engineering, has the potential of providing a powerful workbench for deriving conclusions about the behaviour of systems and sources of data and therefore developing innovative and efficient control and management strategies of communication systems. Targeting the efficient dimensioning of systems and resources in order to make possible the provision of high-quality and larger-choice services to the end-users, this paper proposes the use of a Bayesian framework in video broadband communications. In the context of the combined transmission of several good-quality video sources, such as a digital television broadcast service, using VBR video encoding algorithms and based on prior beliefs and statistical models, an intelligent multiplexer is capable of predicting the probable amount of free space and fill it with extra services or increase the quality of the transmitted channels. © 2003 IEEE.

Abstract

Abstract
MPEG-21 enables content consumers to access and interoperate with a large variety of multimedia resources and their descriptions in a flexible manner. Considering the great heterogeneity that presently exists across the entire multimedia content chain and the growing importance of open standards to facilitate the interoperations across environments, applications and formats, an MPEG-21 Peer was developed to process and present complex multimedia content, represented as MPEG-21 Digital Items. The novelty of the work essentially relies on the adoption of a Web Services architecture, based on a single Digital Items processing core available for all types of terminal devices.