Three Categories of Context-Aware Systems

Abstract

With regard to context-aware systems: some optimize system-internal processes, based on the context state at hand; others maximize the user-perceived effectiveness of delivered services, by providing different service variants depending on the situation of the user; still others are about offering value-sensitivity when the society demands so. Even though those three perspectives cover a broad range of currently relevant applications there are no widely accepted and commonly used corresponding concepts and terms. This is an obstacle to broadly understand, effectively integrate, and adequately assess such systems. We address this problem, by considering a (component-based) methodological derivation of technical (software) specifications based on underlying enterprise models. That is because context states are about the enterprise environment of a (software) system while the delivery of context-aware services is about technical (software) functionalities; hence, we need a perspective on both. We consider the SDBC (Software Derived from Business Components) approach that brings together enterprise modeling and software specification. On that basis: (a) We deliver a base context-awareness conceptualization; (b) We partially align it to agent technology because adapting behaviors to environments assumes some kind of pro-activity that is only fully covered by agent systems, in our view. We partially illustrate our proposed conceptualization and particularly - the agent technology implications, by means of a case example featuring land border security.