The present proposal is for a continuation of support, for a further 3 years, for the Network of Excellence in distributedand dependable computing systems: CaberNet. Founded in 1991, CaberNet has established a European community ofresearch groups and will now build on this strength to contribute directly to many of the themes highlighted in the ISTProgramme. Organising activities in Research Coordination and Training; Links to Industry and Information Services;it will enable members to work together more effectively on collaborative projects of wider interest and relevance thansimply the conduct of advance research. Examples include the publication of electronic newsletters; the jointproduction of training material and the investigation of advanced facilities for wide-area multi-media and computer-supported cooperative working. The present proposal is for a continuation of support, for a further 3 years, for the Network of Excellence in distributedand dependable computing systems: CaberNet. Founded in 1991, CaberNet has established a European community ofresearch groups and will now build on this strength to contribute directly to many of the themes highlighted in the ISTProgramme. Organising activities in Research Coordination and Training; Links to Industry and Information Services;it will enable members to work together more effectively on collaborative projects of wider interest and relevance thansimply the conduct of advance research. Examples include the publication of electronic newsletters; the jointproduction of training material and the investigation of advanced facilities for wide-area multi-media and computer-supported cooperative working.

OBJECTIVES
The mission of CaberNet is to coordinate top-ranking European research in distributed and dependable systems, tomake that research accessible to governments and industries and to further the quality of education concerning suchsystems. CaberNet addresses all aspects of the design of networked computer systems. These systems can rangefrom embedded systems used to control an aircraft in flight to globe-spanning applications searching for informationon the World-Wide Web. CaberNet will build on its Europe-wide community of research groups in distributed anddependable computing and develop a shared vision of RTD. This shared vision will provide a focus for work that is central to the success of the IST Programme, highlighting our strengths and leading to a coherent presentation ofEuropean work in the global marketplace of ideas.

DESCRIPTION OF WORK
Work will be organised into four workpackages. Workpackage 1 (Management and Administration) will: initiate,manage and administer the network; coordinate activities across all other workpackages; determine network policy(including admission of new members); and provide administrative and organisational support for all network activities. A subset of the members of the network (the managing nodes) will constitute an Executive Board. This will be the governing body of the network and will manage the network's resources; monitoring and assessing network activity. Workpackage 2 (Research Coordination and Training) will: develop a coherent vision of European distributed and dependable computing RTD; facilitate awareness and coordination of member research and training activities; foster collaborations between members; and support initiative to develop the skills of younger researchers (particularly with respect to development of research project proposals and dissemination of research results). Workpackage 3 (Links to Industry) will: foster industry-research collaborations; increase industrial awareness of the network and its members; and provide an industrial perspective on the CaberNet Vision of RTD. Workpackage 4 (Information Servies) will: support all other network activities through the provision of information sharing and dissemination services; increase awareness of CaberNet in particular and European activity in general through electronic newsletters and WWW-based repositories; and exploit innovative services to support Europe-wide collaborative working. Examples of the types of a activities envisaged are: the organisation of workshops and Industry-Research fora; the provision and maintenance of WWW-based databases concerning the full range of CaberNet and member activity; the operation of a programme of short-term exchanges and visits; the marketing of network member research outputs.