Credit: Fraunhofer-Institut für Arbeitswirtschaft und Organisation IAO Under the banner of "d!conomy - no limits," CeBIT 2017 will focus not only on the digital transformation of industry, administration and society, but also on the markets and opportunities this transformation opens up. From March 20 to 24, Fraunhofer IAO will be at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) joint booth (Hall 6, Booth C40) to present the ENTOURAGE joint research project.
From vacuum cleaners to connected vehicles, operating intelligent devices in environments such as the smart home or connected car is currently done almost exclusively using smartphones and the corresponding platforms. This effectively means that it's the international corporations that make the leading platforms that have the control. These companies thus exert considerable influence on what business models manufacturers of connected devices can apply, while limiting the options for independent providers of innovative assistance services – which is not always in the best interest of the user. What's more, concerns arise as to whether users' personal information is given adequate protection.
ENTOURAGE: An alternative based on an open ecosystem
In the ENTOURAGE project, Fraunhofer IAO and its partners are developing an open ecosystem for smart, secure and trusted assistance systems in the Internet of Things. Assistance systems are growth and future technologies and with its open ecosystem, ENTOURAGE aims to offer an alternative to established platforms. The project is providing a new kind of architecture that makes direct interaction and integration possible for devices and services from a variety of application fields. Among the project's top priorities are establishing legal certainty, data protection, and an open marketplace for assistance systems, data and services.
A level playing field
Automakers, smart home providers, mobility service providers and many others are all on equal footing in the ENTOURAGE ecosystem. Start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises now also have the opportunity to offer smart assistance functions, and it's the end users who retain control over how their personal data is used at all times. In addition to developing concepts and solution modules and publishing the results of scientific research, ENTOURAGE is conducting field tests in the core application areas of intelligent mobility and the smart home. Topics that play a crucial role in these tests include the optimization of public infrastructure, sustainability and work-life balance.
Experience the technology of the future
Linking a wide variety of applications makes it possible to address many different areas of life, and users find the products all the more appealing and effective. When it comes to connecting manufacturers, secure data exchange and public infrastructure, the key is to turn trends into technology for life. In this way, a person's digital assistant could use real-time traffic reports and private and business appointment planners to set the ideal time on the alarm clock, making sure the coffee machine is on and ready when the person gets up.
ENTOURAGE at CeBIT 2017
The ENTOURAGE research project will be on show at the BMWi joint booth in Hall 6, Booth C40. Using a 3-D model, the exhibit will illustrate how smart assistance systems are connected to one another within the ecosystem to generate added value for participants and users. Use cases from the smart home, connected cars and smart mobility will be presented. Visitors will be able to follow the information flow – represented using colored LEDs – among a number of intelligent assistants across domains and influence this flow using a tablet-based interactive presentation.
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