Context-based services discovery in mobile environments

Mobile and ubiquitous computing have increased the need for mobile users to expect accessing preferred services, whenever they want and wherever they are. Users do not have to explicitly specify and configure their working environment each time they move from one location to another. The necessary adaptation to cope with the changing environment should be initiated by services rather than by users. This paper presents a context-aware platform for supporting mobile users with personalized services. The platform is capable of handling different types of context sources (i.e. sensors, readers, agents), offers sophisticated mechanisms in matching the mobile user´s preferences with services that are enabled at the visited location, and provides these services in personalized and adaptive manner to the user conditions. As a proof of concept, we present an context sensitive instant messaging prototype where a user is provided with services and information of interest based on location and time. The platform monitors a set of policies to dynamically adapt each application behavior to the situation of its use.