According to our information the following outcomes, in the form of Public Deliverables,  will be produced during the lifetime of the project.  If our information is incorrect, please contact the TWEURO team so that we can correct our list and provide links to the published material.  We are happy to host public material for projects.

Date prepared: 20 May 1996

Abstract:

The INFOSOND project will have two major results:

1.information services developed by each city primarily for their inhabitants, of which the design follows a common model

2.a navigation service common for all cities; the Navigator.

The ‘user requirements and priorities’ study of INFOSOND has produced:

1.a description of the project methodology

2.a conceptual model of the Navigator and the associated roles and relationships among actors

3.a study of user (citizens and professionals) requirements for the Navigator and the common service design model

4.a study of the information and service needs of different user groups

The main results from this ‘user requirements and priorities’ study are:

Services: The cities’ priorities are prolonged opening hours, more efficient internal and external information flows, a common interface to information, improving knowledge about user needs, and reducing transportation.

Users give priority to job finding, local transportation, cultural events, travelling, and municipal information. They prefer systems delivering services at home instead of going to kiosks.

Navigator: Users require not only information/service delivery, but need also:

a one-stop all-embracing navigation system for finding services

means for communication with those delivering services

multiple search methods. Rapid finding is the most important key to success; it was found that a thesaurus translating between colloquial and professional language could considerably reduce the effort spent on searching on part of the user.

Keyword List: User Needs, Navigator, Thesaurus

Date prepared: 10 may 1996

Abstract:

The INFOSonD project will have two major results:

1. information services developed by each city primarily for their inhabitants, of which the design follows common model.

2. a navigation service common for all cities: the Navigator.

The «Report on existing systems» has produced:

1.  a description of the current situation of development of information services in each of the cities

2.  a study of technical requirements for the common INFOSonD navigating system

3. a study of requirements for improving existing information services to INFOSonD services

4.  guidelines for services integration through the navigator and next work packages.

The main results from the study on existing systems are:

Current situation: The participating cities all have reached different levels of development in “bridging information-providers and users of city information and services”.

Technical requirements  for a navigator: The navigation system is the interface between users and providers in a common information space; it should support basic technical resources for:

Communication

Global orientation and assistance

Corresponding Specific requirements are listed.

Requirements for improving services: The most important criteria is to improve quality of information and access.

A set of requirements is listed in terms of up-dating, attractiveness and completeness of information, quality of access and interactivity.

Guidelines for services integration: Due to existing systems, integration of services through a navigator should be done in a progressive and iterative process allowing feedback from experiments and users groups.

Keyword list: Existing Systems, Technical Requirements, Improvement of Services, Integration of Services.

Date prepared: 30 June 1996

Abstract:

Based upon the first two deliverables on User Requirements and Existing Systems, the present deliverable D3 gives an overview of the general architecture that will be used by the partners for developing 3 key applications on City Information and Services, SME Information and Services and Information and Services for Disabled and Elderly people.

The general architecture is based upon the conceptual approach that users as well as providers can use  - as a matter of speak -  “a communication-bridge”. This means that - independent of the used media - users easily  can make requests for information and services in a way the user does not require any specific knowledge or skill.

As a result from an inventory made in the different cities, the key services in the INFOSOND project are derived:

1.Urban and Rural areas: leisure information and local government information

2.SME: European guidelines and local regulations

3.Disabled and Elderly: general information

The general architecture enables the integration of existing technologies, applications, structures and data systems, but it can also be used as a framework for a migration path to interactive multimedia systems both on PC, TV and Kiosks. The core of the INFOSOND navigating system are the Value Added Services like thesaurus management, table of content management, super index, templates, correct spelling, natural language search, user management, secure management user behaviour management, recording of information, production of reports and problem solving management

Keyword list:  INFOSOND system architecture, functional specifications, existing software.

Date prepared: 2 May 1997

Abstract:

Based on the functional specifications of deliverable D3, this document describes the concise implementations of the INFOSOND system in the participating cities and the common principles, structure and components, on which these implementations have been based. As described within the functional specifications, INFOSOND not only focuses on the presentation of services to the citizens, but in its technical approach also puts emphasis on the organization of the data input, collection, release and maintenance process of the data and media within the city administration. The INFOSOND system will therefore be tightly intertwined with the existing general DP environment in the participating cities. Thus, the INFOSOND technical approach defines a reference framework for the implementation of the INFOSOND system in the individual cities, but deliberately in a flexible way that allows different cities different strategies for this reference framework compliant with the local DP policy.

The delivery platform for the services offered by the INFOSOND system is primarily the world-wide web service (WWW) of the INTERNET. This service is being made even more widely available for the citizens during the project by the utilization of the cable TV network via special cable-modems - for PC’ and/or advanced TV’s. Although, the services have been implemented in a way that they can/will will be presented by only minor modifications on public kiosks or with the traditional infra-structure pre-existing in some cities (e.g. interactive Teletext).

The technical approach ot the INFOSOND system is based on a two layer common architecture. On the basic physical level, the INFOSOND system is described as aggregation of operating system platforms, web-servers and data-bases communicating via ODBC, scripting tools, sometimes geographical information systems (GIS) and CSCW-tools. One of the common building principles of the INFOSOND system is the strict utilization of databases for all content material and the subsequent generation of all web-pages on-the-fly and based on the actual data-base content. Only in this way, the data input process can be organized within the city administration in a manageable way and by utilizing standard data-base input masks. On the more abstract functional layer, it is described how the elements of the physical layer are utilized to implement especially the value added services to be delivered to the citizens and described in the former deliverable D2. One of the cornerstones of the functional layer is the common data model for the ILDS (INFOSOND Local Data Storage), an entity-relationship (ER) scheme describing events, locations, organizations, ... in a homogeneous way. Such conceptual information entities are common to most services foreseen in the INFOSOND project and not different between the participating sites of the project. Also a suitable description scheme of the content of a link to an external service provider has to be delivered by the data model.  This common data model will not only facilitate the exchange of data between the participating cities within the project or of different value-added services acting upon this data structure, the  special structuring of this data will also be  utilized for supporting search processes in a very efficient way. Another cornerstone of the functional layer are the common and specific principles for the user interface design of the citizen information services, which combine suitable structural and spatial metaphors.    

Keyword List: INFOSOND, system design, common data model, two-layer common architecture, reference framework, implementation of citizen services, data bases 

Date prepared: 2 May 1997

Abstract:

Based on  the deliverable D3, in which the functional specifications of the INFOSOND system have been stated and deliverable D4, in which the INFOSOND common system design has been described on the physical and functional layer, this document describes an (existing) repertoire of Available Building Blocks for an INFOSOND system, aggregated in a Software Exchange List (SEL). These building blocks described as  elements of the SEL have been built by the INFOSOND partners in accordance with D3 and D5.4 within the course of the project and are available for other partners within the project or outsiders interested to built similar citizen information systems. By definition, the SEL will not contain a systematic or consisting partitioning of a complete INFOSOND system into its constituents, but the entries of the SEL are motivated by the willingness and commitment of the constructor of the building block to offer it to others.

As a means for technology transfer within and outside the consortium, the SEL describes the building blocks only by its functionality, technical structure and components, the requested technical platform for using the component, inter-dependencies from other components and/or additional technical presuppositions rsp. boundary-conditions of usage. The SEL does not state the commercial terms and conditions of such an transfer of the building block nor does it imply that an item listed in the SEL can be assumed to be available for free. Such commercial terms and conditions may not only be heavily influenced by the license costs included, but also by the amount of background material (built/acquired outside the INFOSOND project) that may be contained in the building block. In addition,  the amount of work needed for the de-localization of the building-block at the original construction and application site, the necessary localization and adaption work at the new application site, the scope of (foreign language) documentation needed and the amount and level of personal support requested from the constructor of the building block will contribute to the terms and conditions of an exchange. This can only seriously be discussed and negotiated on a case-by-case basis.   

To support the transfer process, with reference to D3, the SEL will also classify its entries with respect to the two layer common architecture, especially, whether a SEL entry belong as a tool to the physical layer (e.g. a kiosk browser) or realizes some specific value added services associated with the functional layer (e.g. a problem-task translator).

The SEL is intended as an instrument of technical management  and is of course an ongoing process within the course of the project. Thus, the SEL  will be amended and updated on a regular basis. The current document therefore can only give an initial snapshot on the SEL by the date of delivery of this document.

Keyword List: INFOSOND, technology transfer, common building blocks, software exchange list, SEL, available components from INFOSOND, exclusion of commercial terms and conditions

D6 Implementation Plan for the Validation

Date prepared: 28 April 1997

Abstract: The INFOSOND evaluations are made in two distinct phases:

Phase 1: investigates the end user, including professional intermediaries) perspective. In this phase, prototype systems are tested in laboratory settings so as to investigate usability and users’ attitudes. Also, users are interviewed so as to estimate the systems’ usefulness in real life situations, and prospected use.

Phase 2: investigates the organisational perspective as a whole, including system use in operational environments, assessment of added value for clients, impact on organisational work flows, and technical and economic values and costs. Key parameters are return on investment, strategic match, competitive advantage, management information, competitive response, project or organisational risk, strategic IS infrastructure, definition uncertainty, technical uncertainty, and infrastructure risk

This report contains three parts:

Part 1: gives a general overview over the investigations; their purpose, scope, and schedule.

Part 2: is a handbook for Phase 1 evaluations, providing data formats, and instructions for evaluators as to how to set up experiments and interpret data gathered.

Part 3: is a handbook for Phase 2 evaluations, providing a method, measurements scales, and instructions for local evaluators as to how to set up evaluations, what inputs to use, and what output to deliver.

Keyword List: Usability, Usefulness, User attitudes, Use, Return on investment, Strategic match. Competitive advantage, Management information, Competitive response, Project/ organisational risk, Strategic IS infrastructure, Definition uncertainty, Technical uncertainty,  Infrastructure risk.

Appendix 1

Abstract: The phase 1 evaluation investigates the end user, including professional intermediaries) perspective. In this phase, prototype systems are tested in laboratory settings so as to investigate usability and users’ attitudes. Also, users are interviewed so as to estimate the systems’ usefulness in real life situations, and prospected use.

This document is a handbook for Phase 1 evaluations, providing data formats and instructions for evaluators as to how to set up experiments and how to interpret data.

Abstract:

The evaluations in phase 2 investigate the organisational perspective as a whole, including system use in operational environments, assessment of added value for clients, impact on organisational work flows, and technical and economic values and costs. Key parameters are return on investment, strategic match, competitive advantage, management information, competitive response, project or organisational risk, strategic IS infrastructure, definition uncertainty, technical uncertainty,  and infrastructure risk

This document is a handbook for Phase 2 evaluations, providing a method, measurements scales, and instructions for local evaluators as to how to set up evaluations, what inputs to use, and what output to deliver.

Date prepared: 28 May 1997

Abstract:

This document reports results from Phase 1 evaluations of Infosond systems. The tests have focused on the end user, including professional intermediaries, perspective. Prototype systems have been tested in laboratory settings by some 200 users so as to investigate usability and users’ attitudes. Also, users have been interviewed so as to estimate the systems’ usefulness in real life situations, and prospected use. In one case, actual use was evaluated.

The study focuses strictly on system performance, problems with implementing ideal systems in real life are not considered here; the report is intended to provide the cities with support for improved design.

Results: Users’ attitudes towards the systems are very positive. Systems are generally easy to use, but not for the absolute beginner. Task domain knowledge and Internet experience are important factors for successful use. The test persons generally consider the systems to provide added value, but are generally negative to paying for use of the systems. Future use will be depending on increased reliability, better and more comprehensive contents, more consistent terminology, and more consistent search paths. Use from the office is most likely since efficient use from home is inhibited by time-consuming access procedures and connection speed, and time for finding solutions is a critical factor.

The systems tested are generally very useful in their current design, but improvements can be made so as to meet increased user demands. The most important improvements to be made are; more consistent terminology, consistent search paths, improved information structure by inclusion of cross-references,  and better explanations from the system.

Keyword List: Usability, usefulness, user attitudes, prospected use.

The full deliverables plus other documentation is available on: http://www.infosond.org/