Work plan

As requested by the EC the activities of PetaMedia can be classified into three broad categories:

• Research, Technological Development and innovation (RTD)
• Management of the consortium (M)
• Other activities (Other)

The overall workplan is subdivided into work packages as follows:

JPIS.1 Integration of People and Organizations (Other)
JPIS.2 Integration of Technologies (RTD)
JPIS.3 Towards a Virtual Centre of Excellence (Other)
JPRA.1 Fundamental Research on MCA and P2P (RTD)
JPRA.2 Technology Roadmap and Architecture (RTD)
JPRA.3 Research for Field Trial and Future of P2P/MCA (RTD)
JPRA.4 Execution of Field Trials using P2P/MCA (RTD)
JPSE Spreading Excellence (Other)
JPM Network Management (M)

In particular:

JPIS.1 - The objective of this work package is to efficiently integrate the available human resources (senior researchers and PhD students), to coordinate effective use of available as well as planned stand-alone infrastructure and resources at one partner site, by other partners, and to manage the opening up of the NoE to other than core and permanently affiliated partners. It also aims at identifying and coordinating initiatives for submission of research grant proposal on well-focused and timely activities relevant to the objectives of PetaMedia.

JPIS.2 - The main objective of this WP is to form a sustainable software platform for the JPRAs. This will be done by sharing and disseminating existing multimedia content access and (peer-to-peer) networking technologies among the four national networks.

JPIS.3 – The objectives of this work package are threefold, namely:

• To establish the mechanisms needed to create a self-sustaining scientific Virtual Centre of Excellence in multimedia content access in social and peer-to-peer networks;
• To generate a durable impact by implementing an effective plan for technology transfer, training, joint research, dissemination and exploitation beyond the funded project life;
• To enable the use of research technology in related fields or business and to use the understanding developed during the project to contribute to key standards bodies and industry forums to ensure meaningful and useful standards developed in lines with the needs of the industry.

JPRA.1 - This work package comprises the monitoring, selection, and incorporation of national network research activities that are not funded by PetaMedia but are part of essential background know-how, algorithms, methods, and software to be integrated in this NoE. This information is too long for this work package description, yet very essential to the notion of quality and relevance of the NoE partners.

JPRA.2 - The integration efforts of PetaMedia will allow the partners to develop a qualified look ahead on the important technological developments for future applications in domains related to networked media distribution, analysis and consumption. This work package aims to offer a constantly updated forecast on technological challenges and research questions that become relevant in the mid-term future.

JPRA.3 - The main objective of this WP is to search for new paradigms enabling optimal multimedia content access though an integration of two worlds, the SP2P networks and MCA. Automated content analysis algorithms will be used in combination with user-based tagging approaches. The preferred way of combining these two approaches is subject of research. As an example, we imagine a P2P setup in which users assign tags to spatial or temporal segments/objects in video sequence, obtained by (pseudo-)automated content analysis procedures. As a result, not only the content has to be distributed through the P2P network, but also the segmentation results and the attached tags. Collaborative algorithms are used to improve both the analysis results and the tags. The software components resulting from the work package are suitable for integration with Tribler, and form the foundation for the field trials in Work Package JPRA.4.

JPRA.4 - The objective of this work package is to converge the technological progress of work packages JPRA.1 and JPRA.3 into large-scale field experiments. These large-scale experiments or ‘field trials’ involve real users, and they aim to evaluate the following two aspects of SP2P/MCA:

• New technological contributions to merging automated video content analysis and user-based tagging in a P2P network structure. The experiments focusing on this aspect is called the ‘technological field experiment’.
• Perception of users of this new form of collaboration in a social network structure build on top of a P2P network structure. The experiments focusing on this aspect is called the ‘user perception field experiment’.

The large scale experiments should not been seen as the ‘concluding’ experiments of the project, but as an experimental component and integral part of the research in P2P, social networking and multimedia content analysis, complementing the fundamental research in the national networks.

JPSE - It is envisaged that PetaMedia will produce a large amount of technological results, which will influence the research perspective in the next years. In order to spread the outcome of the PetaMedia activities, a detailed dissemination plan has been developed that aims at fulfilling the following objectives: - Up to date spreading of technological and scientific achievements of the network to the widest possible audience of all social and scientific backgrounds, - Implementation of a number of training programmes addressed to researchers as well as users of P2P technologies and applications.

In time the main activities of PetaMedia can be divided into five stages:

Month 1-18: The period in which a standard mode of NoE operation will be developed. Bootstrap discussions will take place within the Network Steering Board and the Advisory Boards about the formation of the virtual centre of excellence.

Month 18-24: During these months a joint proposal for the Virtual Centre of Excellence will be drafted.

Month 24-30: The period in which all material necessary for the final decision by the stake holders on the launch of the Virtual Centre of Excellence will be finalized and evaluated.

Month 30-38: If “all lights are green” at M30, formal (legal, financial, …) processes for establishing the virtual centre of excellence will be initiated. The formal decision for formation of virtual centre of excellence lies with participating founding institutes and their national networks. These founding institutes may be identical, more, or fewer than the four core partners of PetaMedia; also the involved national networks may be identical, more, or fewer than the four national networks establishing the NoE PetaMedia. If not all lights are green, the proposal will be adapted, discussed with internal and external stake holders and funding agencies. An adaption of the proposal should strive for 'all green lights'.

Month 38-42: The formal formation of the Virtual Centre of Excellence is well under way, or it has not started yet. In the first case the NoE PetaMedia research and dissemination activities will be transformed into corresponding activities in the Virtual Centre of Excellence. In the latter case, the NoE will be wrapped up and results will be consolidated in National Network contexts.