Designing an architecture for multichannel adaptive information systems

Multichannel Adaptive Information Systems aim at enabling users/clients to access software applications through various types of devices (i.e., PCs, laptops, palmtops, PDAs, mobile phones, etc.) and networks (i.e., local, wireless, bluetooth, etc.) by adapting their functionalities/performances to the specific features of each device/network. Further, such systems should enable a smooth switch among different channels (devices and networks) according to the current requirements of the users. Multichannel Adaptive Information Systems raise interesting research challenges that are related to the development of architectures, methodologies, environments, tools for such systems, and concern issues as adaptivity, flexibility, transactionality, security, etc. This paper introduces the research efforts towards the design of MAIS software architecture for this kind of systems, as specified within the Italian MURST-FIRB Project MAIS1 "Multichannel Adaptive Information System".