Towards the Internet of Services
The Internet of Services is a vision of the Internet of the Future where everything that is needed to use software applications is available as a service on the Internet, such as the software itself, the tools to develop the software, the platform (servers, storage and communication) to run the software. Cloud computing (visit our website!) is a relatively new model of Internet-based computing, whereby servers, storage, networking, software, and information are provided on demand.
Anybody who wants to develop applications can use the resources in the Internet of Services to develop them. Advantages of the “Internet of Services” include the little investments needed upfront to develop an application and the possibility to build upon other people’s efforts. The risk involved in pursuing new business ideas is diminished, and might lead to more innovative ideas being tried out in practice.
Research
Objective 1.2 "Internet of Services, Software and Virtualisation" and "Service and Software Architectures, Infrastructures and Engineering" of the FP7-ICT Programme for Research and Development is funding research to realise the "Internet of Services" vision.
More information about
- The eighth call for proposals and Work Programme 2011-12
- Ongoing FP7 projects
- Many of the FP7 projects contribute to the Future Internet Assembly, a meeting place for projects of Challenge 1, researching the Future Internet
- Another area of attention is Open Source software
- The projects are building on research carried out during the FP6-IST programme in the area of Software and Services and Grids
Policy
European Industry should benefit from the opportunities that the "Internet of Services" brings. This might require policy actions at the European or Member State level. Some lines of work have started:
- A study to prepare Guidelines for public procurement of ICT goods and services (ref. SMART2011/0044)
- A public consultation on Cloud Computing (deadline 31/8/2011)
-
A study to assess the economic and social impact of Software and Software based Services
(ref. SMART2009/0041)

This page is maintained by: Graziana Lonero
