A reference architecture based on Web components for ubiquitous information systems

Companies scattered worldwide, the proliferation of network-enabled devices, and advances in telecommunications have fueled a wide range of emerging behaviors that new and legacy systems must attempt to support. An important new usage behavior is ubiquitous computing, defined here as anytime/anyplace access to system functionality and data. Designing and deploying ubiquitous information systems requires a framework for conceptualizing how to structure and integrate existing and emerging technologies and end systems. The purpose of this thesis is to propose and describe a reference architecture. This architecture is a Web-centric synthesis of layered and service-oriented architectural styles using Web services with object-oriented patterns designed to provide a blueprint for constructing information systems that must support ubiquitous computing. The feasibility of the architecture is assessed through the design and construction of an information system based on the proposed reference architecture.