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.

Public Deliverables

The following Public Deliverables can be downloaded as a combined ZIP file or read individualy whilst on-line.

Executive Summaries

The TELEPROMISE project is user-led: it aims to meet the real-life needs for services of the general public in rural areas. This report explains how pilot communities were selected in the 3 participating countries, how user groups in these communities were established and the methodology and findings of the structured discussions which were held with them to produce a first overview of user requirements. These discussions made use of the fast prototype terminals and services previously built (Deliverable D02.1) and this qualitative analysis will be followed shortly by a common market research survey in each of the validation sites (Deliverable D01.2) prior to selection of services (Deliverable D03.1).

During the same period, meetings were being held with existing providers of services (‘local suppliers’) located in the selected communities. Their proposals for tele-services which could be provided to complement what is currently available locally are also reported here. The results of this research are combined with that for end-users to identify the services emerging from this qualitative research.

The report is valuable for examining the lessons and best practice from the methodology used for this type of qualitative research in differing cultural and socio-economic circumstances, as well as for its identification of the specific tele-services proposed by users. The discussions and meetings were successful in raising interest and awareness and the fast prototypes were particularly valuable in providing a tangible demonstration of the concept involved which was easy for the general public to try out for themselves and to stimulate their own ideas for suitable tele-services.

This report contains the findings of a market research survey into user needs for tele-services carried out in the three rural pilot areas of the TELEPROMISE project in NL, DK and IE. A random sample of some 400 households was selected in each area and they were approached for a computer-supported interview carried out by phone. An average response rate of 68% was achieved.

1. The survey indicates in all three pilot areas sufficient level of potential demand for many individual tele-services and for expected use of a package of services to achieve a critical mass required for viable implementation.

2. Service needs vary considerably between the three areas. Taking estimated usage of a service via TELEPROMISE as ‘high’ if it is more than once a month per household, then potential demand is highest in the island communities in IE and it is spread across the different types of services. In DK potential demand is highest for various local information services and for a tele-supermarket service. In NL, highest expected usage is for a tele-supermarket service and other food shopping services.

3. The percentage of households who would expect to use at least 3 of the tele-services or to use the TELEPROMISE system as proposed at least once a week varies from 55% in NL to 93% in IE (DK 75%). In each area about 70% of households indicated a willingness to make some payment for use of the system, thus suggesting ‘effective’ demand for a package of services varying between about 40% of households in the NL pilot area to about 70% in the IE area.

A fast prototype was required at an early stage as a simulator of the terminals (public access and home) and the graphical user interface for structured discussions to be held with the general public in the selected communities in the pilot areas to identify the ‘missing services’ which would be suitable for implementation in the project. ‘Sample’ tele-services, with a common look-and-feel in each country, were designed, accessed by the user via one of the two types of terminal.

The following procedures were agreed and followed to realise working fast prototypes in each of the 3 countries such that these could be ready for use by the beginning of month 5 of the project:

Multimedia Home Terminal (MHT) - a small, simple home terminal developed by IRS bv has been adapted using standard components. Functionality includes: colour graphical display, print facility and sound. The embedded software includes: interpretation into graphics, sound, video or control of received remote imaging commands; monitoring of glidepoint and control of displayed cursor; fully automatic log-in procedure; transmission of mouse-click coordinates across communication link.

Public Access Multimedia Terminal (PAMT) - PC-based incorporating a VGA colour LCD, a touchscreen, printer and speakers. Functionality as per MHT but physical and ergonomical design suited to public access location.

Graphical User Interface (GUI) - design based on remote imaging software, using Remote Imaging Protocol (RIP) and a software package designed by IRS bv for the generation of telematics applications (RIPDRAW). Screen layout files generated in C-code in each country and then compiled centrally to produce the application executable.

This report contains the user requirement and functional specifications for the TELEPROMISE project demonstrator. The specifications define the user-system relationships and they draw on the research with end-users and service providers in the three pilot areas. They provide the basis for the design and building of the working-models which follows. Usability for the project’s target group of the general public is a key element.

The tele-services to be implemented are divided into five generic applications in terms of the processes and procedures which they involve: shopping; article processing; on-line reservation; information; and local bulletin board. For each of these applications, the processes involved are described in the form of flowcharts specifying their various functions/elements which must be built into the design of the demonstrator. Functions which are common to different applications like identification procedure, ordering procedure, form filling, printing and communication procedures are also specified. In addition, general system features such as user registration procedures, update procedures for system data, security, statistics and a help function are outlined. User interface attributes for achieving usability are described.

The report also covers a number of matters which are relevant to these functional specifications which are required for the design and building of the demonstrator. The generic aspects of logistics and payment for the proposed services are dealt with, explaining the issues which must be dealt with in realising these types of services in a ‘real world’ pilot area.

Finally, the choice of technology platform is described in the form of a discussion note which was used as the basis of the considerations of the project’s contractors, together with the recommended solutions which emerged for the communication network and ‘technology development route’.

This report describes the TELEPROMISE terminals, applications/services, clients and systems models at a stage called the Working Model, implementing the main features of the proposed system for testing and demonstration purposes.

It is explained how the project is adapting to the rapid developments in Internet/WWW to choose a technology development route which is a hybrid of Internet/WWW and proprietary technology developed by project partner IRS bv specifically for certain circumstances relevant here (in particular, usability suited to ‘ordinary citizens’ without any IT knowledge or experience, including many elderly persons).

The ‘technical development’ section covers the hardware (public access and home terminals) and software (applications, services and critical elements of the graphical user interface) of the Working Models, including examples/illustrations; the networking and integration, with the choice of TCP/IP for a common networking strategy and specific consideration of operating modes and of ordering procedures; and, finally, the principles adopted for maintenance/up-dating.

This report is the culmination of the research phase of the TELEPROMISE project. The aim at this stage is to be able to indicate, on the basis of the research carried out with the end-user communities and initial discussions with the local suppliers and potential service providers in the three pilot areas:

· the package of tele-services proposed to be implemented in each of the selected pilot communities (and the underlying reasons for this selection based on end-user demand/expected usage and discussions with potential providers);

· the nature and features of these tele-services;

· the proposed providers of these tele-services and the extent, if any, to which their current operations provide an opening to the introduction of a telematics-based service;

· the number and location of the public access terminals (PAMTs) and home terminals (MHTs) proposed;

· the nature of the logistics system for delivery of goods ordered via the system (for reasons of cost-effectiveness aiming at ‘integrated’ logistics in each pilot area and optimal utilisation of any existing systems);

· and the framework for the exploitation basis of the system (this general framework being applicable in all three pilot areas).

While the findings in the report are specific to each local area, and are clearly strongly influenced by local factors, the concluding chapter seeks to draw out significant general points which will be able to feed into a model for implementing a wide range of tele-services for the general public in rural areas as is proposed in this project.

This deliverable provides both a status report of Telepromise as a revamped project, occasioned by the departure of the former Project Coordinator and Technical Manager as well as the withdrawal of the Dutch validation site, and of the detailed plans on the eve of the validation phase of the project. The above changes have included a revision of the technical platform of the project and a concomitant re-thinking of operational, maintenance and exploitation issues. They directly reflect Telepromise’s research results to date as well as the recommendations made by the panel of experts as part of the 1997 Annual Review of the project.

The technical platform is now fully based upon the Internet/WWW and both home and public terminals on PC hardware and software. This provides many advantages, not least the lowering of development and maintenance costs, the prospect of achieving a critical mass of usage more rapidly, and multi-functional use of hardware and software. Applications have been developed specially for the project, rather than using unsuitable off-the-shelf commercially available products, and this is in line with the research aims of the project and the need to meet bottom-up user and local supplier objectives and needs which is the hallmark of Telepromise.

Detailed plans are presented for both the Danish and Irish validation sites. In addition, an evaluation strategy has been developed for implementation during the project’s validation phase.

This report gives the results of user tests of the TELEPROMISE Working Model which were carried out in the pilot areas in NL, DK and IE. The Working Model itself is described in the previous Deliverable (D02.3) and was demonstrated at the project’s Annual Review. The user tests were designed to give members of the project’s target group (the general public in rural areas) the opportunity to try out the equipment and the applications so as to provide the project contractors with the feedback required for technology choices and the further development of the user interface and the terminals leading up to the system ‘going live’ early in 1998.

A common methodology and set-up was used in each country. The user evaluation of both a PC and an IRS custom-built Home Terminal and of a standard PC-monitor or the interface of a custom-built IRS Public Access Terminal were included in the tests. Points from the overall findings can be summarised as: the general usability of the graphical user interface and the alternative terminals scored well; a touchscreen for a public access terminal has distinct advantages - but a keyboard should also be available where considerable amounts of text need to be typed in and the compatibility with HTML screens requires further examination; for a home terminal a mouse is generally favoured over a glidepoint but in both cases it is primarily a question of a little practise and it can be mastered; PC-based solutions were generally favoured over the dedicated technology designed to maximise user friendliness; the ‘scores’ for the specific elements of the terminals and the graphical user interface are generally good (see report for more detail); in general, people prefer a larger over a smaller screen.

This deliverable is an initial status report on the TELEPROMISE services operating in Ireland and Denmark. The service offers started in March 1998 and final refinements are now being completed. Feedback and experience during this time has been very positive and many useful lessons have been learned, which are documented in the following. However, it must be stressed that the intention of this deliverable is only to provide such initial unstructured feedback. More structured, thorough and carefully considered feedback will be provided at the end of 1998 in deliverables D04.3 and D04.4. These deliverables will also have the advantage of a longer period of experience to draw upon.

Initial experience of the technology after several months of operating services has underlined the need to balance the attractions of leading edge with state-of-the-art and appropriate technology solutions, and a confirmation that standard rather than proprietary solutions are the preferred way forward.

This deliverable is a comprehensive evaluation of the demonstration phase of the TELEPROMISE services operating in Ireland and Denmark. The service offers started in March 1998, although the full service package was not complete until the end of April 1998.

Feedback and experience during the last 8 months has been supplemented by detailed user and supplier questionnaires and surveys undertaken in both countries. Overall feedback is very positive and many useful lessons have been learned, which are documented in this deliverable. A final evaluation will be undertaken at the end of the Commission supported phase of the project (at the end of March 1999), at which time an exploitation and dissemination  plan will be presented.

Date planned available: February 1999

Date planned available: March 1999

Date planned available: April 1999

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