Panoply: active middleware for managing ubiquitous computing interactions

In the near future, our mobile devices will act as our personal representatives in the digital domain. As users move from place to place, their devices will associate with new environments and express their preferences and influence in their environments. Application development within this new paradigm, however, can be difficult, as applications require dynamic network configuration, mobility management, localization, and social and application context. To that end, I have developed Panoply, Java-based middleware that assists developers in quickly developing ubiquitous computing applications that can leverage location, social groupings, and user and application interests. Additionally, Panoply provides active device management, enabling dynamic, flexible, and simple network configuration, policy-based admission control, secure mediation of interactions, and dynamic discovery and coordination within network-based device communities. Using Panoply, I have developed a number of interesting applications, including the Smart Party—a location-aware social multimedia application, a group-driven locative media application, and a device quarantine and update management solution for mobile devices. We have shown substantial benefits can be gained from Panoply, including security benefits, scalability benefits, and also application-level benefits from device cooperation and coordination.