Main Goal
The main goal of MUGGES is to demonstrate that the innovative proposed location-aware user-powered service framework can provide real value to users and that, by addressing one of the most dynamic segments, can develop a great market potential not yet attempted. The main research objectives of MUGGES project are:
- Contribution to LBS services deployment, demonstrating that the right type of applications can exploit the true potential of GNSS-based tools of any kind, providing value and arising the interest in a wide range of potential users, from professional to personal ones.
- Innovative, market ready LBS applications based on the prosumer concept. MUGGES project will develop a set of market-ready MUGGES applications (mugglets) based on the prosumer concept such as MyGames, MyCollection, MyCools, MyAdds…
- Service MUGGES infrastructure. A new set of infrastructure tools, either for the terminal side or for the network side, are required because the paradigm swift from the centralised service provision to the mobile user service provision of MUGGES.
- Open trial for universal future adoption. Mobile is probably the most dynamic ICT market. Universal approaches for location, flexible, non depending on present infrastructure and low cost with high reliability are solutions suitable for a wide range of users who can adapt applications to their needs and evolution.
- Business Plan. One of the biggest challenges for the MUGGES approach is to find sustainable ways to turn massive mobile usage of the user-provided LBS applications into cash.
Innovations
The key innovations that MUGGES introduces are:
- A new approach for exploiting innovative GNSS-based mobile LBS applications, personal, social or professional: the mobile prosumer concept.
- A new location model combining GNSS-based positioning and user-provided social positioning in order to support more significant location-based services.
- A new business model, with the “mobile as the service platform”, the “user adds value” and the “very long tail” as the three main pillars.
- A new GNSS-based application paradigm driving to a new service infrastructure and platform tools.
Methodology
The project methodology is based on a waterfall approach, ranging from an early identification and selection of scenarios and business cases to the final evaluation of the business approaches taken for the MUGGES Applications and subsequent analysis of data.
Consistently with this methodology, the project has been broken down into 7 Work Packages which reflects the logical phases of the project cycle in order to achieve the proposed objectives, and also includes the management of the project and assessment of progress and results:
- WP1 serves as a common starting point for the project, where all partners take part in order to define the detailed project scope and detailed functional requirements for the trials in terms of User Cases, scenarios and business models. Also, general trial architecture is provided. From February 2009 to July 2009.
- WP2 specifies in detail the trial, its components and architecture. Also, It serves to specify the test components. From June 2009 to October 2009.
- WP3 consists of the development of the MUGGES market-ready components and kits to be incorporated in the trials, so the MUGGES platform becomes ready for the trials. From August 2009 to September 2010.
- WP4 deals with the programming and deployment of two sets of trials in successive phases. For the trials, a favourable environment has been chosen. From April 2010 to November 2010.
- WP5 designs the validation data requirements to perform a common evaluation, collects the data and performs the analysis of the information to elaborate general common assessment of the MUGGES approach and recommendations. From April 2010 to January 2011.
- WP6 creates the path for an effective exploitation of project results. Three axes are considered: standardisation, dissemination of project advances and Business Plan. Synchronisation and coordination with other FP7 projects is envisaged as well. From August 2009 to January 2011.
- WP7 includes all tasks that are related to the management of the project. From February 2009 to January 2011.
The general structure of the project work plan is depicted in the following diagram. This project structure intends not only to achieve the expected goals but also to minimise all the risk factors associated with these technologies, in order to guarantee the project success.
