The future of information networks and distributed applications

Information and telecommunications service are a critical and important component of the global economy; expertise in this domain gives a competitive advantage in the global marketplace. The guiding vision for information networks is a system which enables users to access all the information they need, when they need it, and where they need it. For this vision to become reality and revolutionize the way we conduct our daily lives and business, network technology, user accessibility and content handling tools must be developed in an integrated fashion. Operations and management functions must be developed and tested in order to achieve reliable operation of the infrastructure, manage the information appliances, and maintain quality of services along with the necessary privacy and security. Lack of a common user interface could turn the vision of an information services network into a catastrophic nightmare with users unable or unwilling to use new services and products. As a final point, if is clear that video will play a dominant role in most applications and will fuel the growth of a service market which includes entertainment, health care, education, commerce, and manufacturing