Research at Data Communications group
Data Communications Software Research Strategy
The Information and Communications industries in Finland are very strong. There is a constant need for world-class research to benefit our industry. The Data Communications Software group has identified four research areas for the future, namely distributed services and applications, Future Internet, security in distributed systems, and energy aware computing and communications. The group has substantial expertise in the three first areas, and work has started recently on the fourth area.
Distributed services and applications encompasses architectures, platforms, and protocols for flexible, scalable, and easily usable services and applications. This research area focuses on both the more traditional Web-based applications, and mobile and wireless applications. The distributed environment poses a number of challenges that need to be addressed. Newer interaction patterns in this environment include peer-to-peer (P2P) data delivery, such as real-time P2P TV and VoIP, and publish/subscribe for flexible information exchange. Moreover, important themes include Web services, service layer mobility and interworking, mobility management in different layers, and service interworking in heterogeneous environments.
Future Internet has recently emerged as an active and vitally important research area both in Europe within the EU 7th framework programme and in the US as the GENI and FIND programmes. The group has its strategic research focus in the evolution of the Internet. Architectural research items include both incremental developments, and radical and high-risk proposals that revolve around more fundamental changes to the Internet architecture.
Security in distributed systems is a constant challenge. Yet, in a distributed environment which lacks centralized authorities, new concepts and ideas are needed for making communications secure and trustworthy. Interesting topics include identity management, privacy, trust, end-point and platform security, reputation, community, chain-of-trust based security, and usability of the security mechanisms from the non-technical end-user perspective.
Energy-aware computing and communications is also a very timely and important topic. The world-wide concern over energy resources, and the increasing gap between embedded devices' processing power and their battery resources, need new solutions from the research community. Energy-aware computing and data communications are key focus areas for the group in the near future.