Mobile and Pervasive Computing

From Blindside

1 What is it
2 Impact & Maturity assessment
3 Information Assurance issues
4 Implications for UK Government
5 Timescale
6 Examples
7 Comments (attributed)
8 Organisations
9 Documents & research papers
10 Experts (academic, practitioner)

[edit] What is it

Ubiquitous computing is a model of computing in which computer functions are integrated into everyday life, often in an invisible way. The model requires both small, inexpensive computers and wired and wireless ("dumb") devices connected to larger computers. A household controlled by ubiquitous computing might have remote-controlled lighting, automated sprinklers, a home entertainment center, devices to monitor the health of occupants, and a refrigerator that warns occupants about stale or spoiled food products.

The proponents of ubiquitous computing envision a progression in computing functionality from the primacy of desktop computing, with its focus on programming and publishing, to an age of "natural" computing, wherein computers are accepted and utilized in all aspects of work and leisure. Rapid changes in technology, combined with an increasingly mobile society, ensure that the average person is continually challenged to use unfamiliar electrical and mechanical devices. This requires that devices operate in accordance with the intuition of the user, and serving that intuition requires computing power. Ubiquitous computing is, therefore, (arguably) not a dream in need of pursuit, but a predictable outgrowth of technical solutions to societal trends.

Modern devices that may serve the ubiquitous computing model include mobile phones, digital audio players, radio-frequency identification tags and interactive whiteboards. Other terms for ubiquitous computing include pervasive computing, calm technology, things that think, everyware, and more recently, pervasive Internet.Wikipedia

Mobile Computing, a form of Ubiquitous computing, is a generic term describing your ability to use technology 'untethered', that is not physically connected, or in remote or mobile (non static) environments. The term is evolved in modern usage such that it requires that the mobile computing activity be connected wirelessly to and through the internet or to and through a private network. This connection ties the mobile device to centrally located information and/or application software through the use of battery powered, portable, and wireless computing and communication devices. This includes devices like laptops with wireless LAN or wireless WAN technology, smart mobile phones, wearable computers and Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) with Bluetooth or IRDA interfaces.

Many types of mobile computers have been introduced since the 1990s, including the: • Laptop computer • Subnotebook • Personal digital assistant (PDA) • Portable data terminal (PDT) • Mobile data terminal (MDT) • Tablet personal computer • Smartphone Wikipedia

[edit] Impact & Maturity assessment

[See definition of levels]

We estimate the Impact Level at 3, the highest rating. We estimate the maturity level at 2. Although PDAs, mobile phones and wireless-enabled computing are common, the next generation of mobile and pervasive computing devices are still in the labs.

Pace of change: On September 25, 2007, a search on Scirus.com for the exact phrase 'mobile computing' returned 8,858 patents since 1900. Of that number, 877 were dated 2007 and a further 1,543 in 2006, indicating that 27% of all patent activity has occurred in the past 20 months.

Similarly, a search for 'pervasive computing' on Scirus returned 1,273 patent results, of which 108 came from 2007 and 215 from 2006, indicating 25% of all patent activity has occurred in the past 20 months.

[edit] Information Assurance issues

Some of the information assurance issues in mobile computing are:

Loss of packets in wired networks due to congestion because error rates are very low. [1]

There are legitimate concerns associated with the security of wireless connectivity. Cellular connections are more subject to eavesdropping technology than hardwired phones and businesses. [2]

Wired and wireless networks require different techniques to achieve reliability and flow control. [3]

Security Issues in Mobile Computing

Managing the risks to information assets requires a knowledge of the threats posed to mobile devices and the vulnerabilities that may allow those threats to be realized. The Mobile Device Vulnerability Database (MDVD) is an online database for collecting vulnerability and countermeasure information on mobile computing devices (smart phones, personal digital assistants, WiFi, Bluetooth, WiMAX, and more) to share with the research community and end users to enhance the security of mobile computing. Users may view all information in the database as well as add vulnerability and countermeasure information on mobile computing hardware and software technologies.Mobile Device Vulnerability Database

[edit] Implications for UK Government

[edit] Timescale

Is the impact of this emerging technology felt - now (less than 18 months) - in 2-5 years? - in 5-25 years - longer-term than that even

The highest level of impact will be felt in the medium term, between 5 and 25 years from now. However, information assurance issues will begin to crop up more quickly, perhaps between 2 and 5 years out.