Updated: Aug 26, 1998
This is the most recent structured information on this project. Complementary data can be found on previous documents
RUBIS Réseau Ubiquitaire à Intégration de Services

Overview

The applications have been carefully selected using these considerations :

• they represent state-of-the art and innovative approaches found at the European level
• in particular, they expedite the uptake of the leading projects in EC Telematics and IT programs
• they promise to make a significant impact on the quality of life of the citizen.

The sites deploy a variety of communication platforms, which will permit comprehensive validation of multimedia applications employing low to high bandwidth, including Cable TV, ATM telephone networks, ISDN and PTSN. Verification of applications will be followed by an integration process that has a multiplying effect on its value to the users. For example, the proposed transport applications will facilitate the transport of patients and physical items (lab tests) among healthcare providers, the care’s providers’ applications feed through to administrative networks and records of episode accumulate for the training of doctors and nurses. Similarly social services entitlements for the elderly will be combined on smart cards with healthcare and transports. Smart cards technology will address major security and confidentiality issues for cross sector applications.

The partners bring complementary strengths to the consortium. The variety and importance of the available communication platforms and infrastructure, as well as the cross sector approach, give a unique opportunity to study the socio-economic impact of multimedia and the rationale for integration of applications. Industry participation is high with from market leaders (Telecom operators, pharmaceutical industry) to innovative SMEs.

Purpose and objectives

The sector applications chosen among the consortium at the level of each DS as a leader in one field use generic technology and are innovative and already in use or at the end of the cycle phase (3 to 5). The different DS offer a variety, yet state of the art and representative of existing infrastructure found world-wide, of “ telecommunication platforms ” covering the potential needs for large number of professional users and citizens. All platform are established and run with the direct involvement of regional authorities (NUTS 2 or 3). Methodology of the Project.

Each DS is a “ supplier ” of a sector TAP to the others sites of RUBIS consortium: In fact, the RUBIS consortium is, from start, aiming at the exploitation of the best solutions brought by one sector TAP leader found in each DS. This situation is not a theoretical starting point because each leader is, in fact, a key player in his area and has a strong background of successful involvement in the different TAP projects funded by DGXIII or nationally. At the operational level, in each DS, sector applications are in use or at the demonstration phase of pilots (healthcare, administration, security smart cards) or already deployed (Transport, Education). Each DS is a user for a sector TAP from other DS of RUBIS .

Once the precise sector applications chosen, the different participants in RUBIS has opted for an integration on their own DS and then have selected them. The table below shows the distribution of DS as suppliers and integrators (users) of the different sector applications selected.

In brief, the TAP sector applications are as follow : .

ADMINISTRATION : the administration project will integrate and demonstrate applications intended to meet the needs of local and regional representatives, regional administrations and municipalities employees (procedures, organisational charts, budgets, electronic mail. RUBIS consortium took also the opportunity to establish a common database (web based with public access) of jobs and position available in the RUBIS DS related to Information Society growing needs. The TAP administrative is developed and actually integrated in Alsace, the supplier here..

HEALTHCARE : a solution based on PROMPT that will permit the integration of Electronic healthcare records compliant with European standards, state of the art technology and comprising on line decision support system with an advanced capability to access medical data bases with medical images produced by PACS system (MEDICOM/DICOM Standards). Two sites (Aquitaine and Berlin) are co-suppliers of this unique combination of multimedia electronic medical record advanced solution..

TRANSPORTATION : a mobility centre, such as the one in Ulm able to offer extensive telematics services to the travellers such as electronic time table information, electronic payment, passenger information at stops, pre-booking of tickets, electronic sales ticket, brooking of car-pools, etc..

EDUCATION : the package offered by the Finnish Site provides an unique opportunity to integrate applications and services developed by different Telematics Education and Training projects run in Finland for language learning, SMEs training, etc.

SECURITY CARDS offer the proper level of security and confidentiality by integration and validation of smart cards coming from the framework of the healthsector TAP (TRUSTHEALTH, EUROCARDS and G7 CARDS). While integration requires a certain level of development on two DS to comply and interface with the architecture. The consortium has chosen to demonstrate the interoperability of this application by integrating a dedicated workstation on each users DS to communicate sensible data. Secure transmission of a European Healthcare Record will be used in order to demonstrate this. A feasibility study of a technology transfer of smart cards solution developed primarily for Healthcare will be made in reference with another TAP (Administration or Education).

Results

to create a framework for integration of cross sector application at the regional level RUBIS will establish a common rationale for Integration of Applications on the existing telematics infrastructure of the Digital Sites in technical, functional, legal and economical terms ; to create a European test-bed for the best-of-breed applications found in each partner of the consortium and covering 4 of the 9 vertical sectors of TAP to be integrated and demonstrated in other sites : administration, healthcare, education, transportation..

RUBIS will permit a core set of applications to be technically adapted to new environment as found in the different DS to demonstrate the applicability and usefulness of each sector application integrated on the different Digital Sites The integration of applications will permit the validation and demonstration of their use by a critical mass of users for each vertical sector represented (Healthcare, Education, Transportation, Administration)..

to assure the proper guaranty of security and confidentiality as demonstrated by the emphasis put on the demonstration of the use of smart cards and relevant technology across all the DS involved in the project..

RUBIS will use an example of trans-national communication of sensible data (medical records). This part is treated as an additional horizontal sector application across the 5 DS of RUBIS to establish new partnership between the participants in order to foster their competitiveness and help establish their European and world-wide strategies.

RUBIS will bring together public and private industrial partners with active role in the development of the Information Society in each of the vertical sector. .

to disseminate the results and assume a successful exploitation plan based on a three phase business plan (regional, national, international).

RUBIS will represent a European test-bed and demonstration platform able to establish the competitiveness of European-made applications and integration to help private and public partners access markets world-wide.

List of deliverables

List of participants

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