The European Commission defines critical infrastructures as those strategic facilities for which disruption or destruction can have a significant impact on health, security or economic wellbeing of the citizens or the effective operation of governments. These facilities include sensitive plants and power grids, communications, finance, healthcare, food, water grids (reservoirs, storage, processing and network), transport, airports, ports, etc.

The ‘Protection of Critical Infrastructures (CI) against High Power Microwave Treats’ (HIPOW) project aims to develop a holistic regime for protection of European critical infrastructures against non nuclear high power microwaves (NNEMP/HPM). This includes suggesting a risk management process for critical infrastructure organization and enterprises, developing a NNEMP/HPM detector prototype, and prepare guidelines and recommendations on protection level, and giving advice on how to harden and increase architecture robustness.

Within HIPOW, Net Technologies will focus (among other tasks) on conducting risk analysis of the NNEMP/HPM threat against critical infrastructures as well as organizing and executing experimental simulations of NNEMP/HPM attacks against telecom units, together with testing of different hardening measures. In addition NET Technologies will be responsible for developing and documenting a risk management process and analysis methodology for defining the appropriate reaction against NNEMP/HPM attacks.

The project is expected to increase the safety of citizens. This is a natural and direct consequence of higher reliability and robustness of critical infrastructures and therein vital electronic components. The security of citizens will be improved. Citizens depend on electronic components for their security. The security industry will benefit from the project as a detector prototype will be developed. The security forces (police forces, fire brigade, port police corps, etc) will benefit from the project since the produced outcomes will increase their awareness in NNEMP/HPM threats.

Funded by FP7/SECURITY - E.U

Maritime transport services are essential in helping the European economy and European companies compete globally. Moreover, shipping and all related maritime industries, sectors uncharacteristically dominated by SMEs, are an important source of revenue and jobs in Europe. The current financial crisis has also affected maritime transport; however a doubling of transport volumes is expected over the next 15-20 years. As such, in the coming years, EU ports will be placed under significant pressure to increase their capacity and efficiency.

DockingAssist project started in November of 2011, and its duration will be 2 years. The full name of the project is “Improved Port Efficiency and Safety Using a Novel Wireless Network and Differential Global Navigation Satellite System Providing Enhanced Vessel Navigation” and it is co-financed by the European Commission under the “For the benefit of SMEs” Program. The consortium consists of organizations from 6 different European countries.

The aim of DockingAssist is to develop a cost-effective location system, providing the necessary centimeter positioning/speed accuracy, but covering the complete port/harbor zone, to provide efficient and safe maneuvering within the entire port area enhancing vessel trajectory, and providing constant monitoring for moored/docked vessels.

Given their experience in wireless networks, NET Technologies assists VTT in the development of the WiMAX Network technology in WP3. They act in an advisory role in the scientific investigations in the implementation of the wireless technology. Furthermore, they are also very involved in the system integration (WP5), leading this work package, offering their experience in deploying wireless networks.

This solution will result in improved port traffic management (reduction in transit), and a reduction in operating expenses, CO2 emissions and fuel usage, lessening the environmental impact of shipping. The time reduction in transit will increase throughput in European ports with a minimum investment.

Specifically, the project is focused on a novel Wireless Network based on IEEE 802.16-2009, WiMAX, in order to create a centralised, cost-effective, real-time, accurate vessel location and monitoring system for harbours using a Precise Differential Global Navigation Satellite System (PDGNSS) with increasing accuracy down to less than 10 cm, based on Real Time Kinematic (RTK) positioning. The harbor will be equipped with a differential GNSS Base Station, and a Wireless Network Access Point offering a range of several kilometres, in order to send the differential corrections data to the vessels, and receive real-time position, speed and heading data from them. The vessel devices can be integrated into current navigation software, since the devices will provide the data in standard NMEA format, as used by all GPS receivers. The DockingAssist system will continuously monitor the position, speed and direction of vessels with high accuracy in all phases of the approach, allowing ships to be precisely located when in the harbor zone, taking into account the measurements of the ship. The system will allow for enhancement to the trajectory through early adjustment of the rate of turn when entering in the port if required, as well as also assisting in the approach towards the berth. Furthermore, with DockingAssist, safe ship movements can be undertaken in situations which would otherwise be unfeasible, making for significantly more efficient use of port facilities.

Net Technologies Greece actively participates and contributes to the following tasks:

Contribution to analyzing WiMAX coverage and propagation issues in harbors

Contribution to the determination of the frequency, traffic and QoS requirements to achieve the anticipated results

Contribution to legislation issues related to WiMAX licenced bands in coastal European countries with focus in south-east Europe

Contribution in the definition of technical specifications, functionalities and features of the DockingAssist system with focus on the WiMAX network design and implementation

Contribution to the design and implementation of the most suitable WiMAX network configuration for the harbor use

Contribution to the network elements selection (base station, subscriber stations, antennas, etc)

Contribution to the selection of the appropriate frequency bands and other technical WiMAX radio parameters (Antenna mast height, RF output power, etc.)

Contribution to the Base station and Portable pilot device development and installation with focus on the WiMAX elements

Contribution to the testing and evaluation of the overall system

Contribution to the provision of lessons-learned and suggestions for future improvement

Contribution to the definition of training plan

Participation in the knowledge management and IPR protection activities

Contribution to the business plan creation

Funded by: FP7/ SME-2011-1

Geographical positioning services to support independent living and social interaction of elderly people is the full name of the initiative, which is co financed by the European Commission under CIP ICT-PSP Program. The consortium consists of organizations from 5 different European countries.

The project started in November, 2010 and is expected to last three years.

Life 2.0 project uses the power of location based services and social networking application to support elderly people's independent life. The main objective of the LIFE 2.0 project is to make the network of social interactions more visible to elderly people, by providing them a set of collaborative ICT based technologies that track and locate people that are relevant to them (e.g. relatives, friends or caregivers), giving them the chance to contact them with a phone call, a text message, the access to advanced multimedia content distribution systems (such as IPTV, interactive digital signage and webTV) or video telephony/conference solutions. This gives a better sense of safety to elderly people living independently and activates all the existing resources (e.g., local knowledge, social contacts, etc.) in the neighborhood. The services proposed and tested in this project come from the combined use of the advanced tracking technologies and social networking applications. The LIFE 2.0 project proposes different level of services, from basic tracking services, to services based on social interaction and new value added services that increase the elderly people’s access to commercial and public facilities in their own neighborhood. The project is developed in 4 EU locations, in which the proposed services will be “prototyped” and proposed directly to the users (elderly people, their families and caregivers). The project is strongly based on users’ participation, in order to make sure that the proposed services are user-friendly, accessible, transparent and easily communicated to users. Net Technologies Bulgaria Ltd. is proud to participate in this consortium, representing Bulgaria and assisting the realization of the project. Our main contribution in the project is related to providing ICT technical expertise and requirements for the solutions and products, which are formed as a result of this project. Therefore Net Technologies is mainly involved in: • Technology integration – providing data about technical knowledge, capabilities and general description of the technical requirements needed for the technologies to be used in the following phases; • Requirement specification - formulate and illustrate scenarios and requirement specification • Platform, system specification and integration plan - develop technical specifications and business framework for the test phase; • Definition of procurement criteria and preparation of tests; • Service customization; • Acquisition and installation of the technical infrastructure - support the installation, preliminary testing and users’ training for the services of the LIFE 2.0 platform; support the maintenance and helpdesk; • Ongoing data collection from field analysis and evaluation - contribute to the technical evaluation and on the potential of the services; • Business case evaluation and market analysis.

More information for Life 2.0 can be seen in a href='http://www.life2project.eu'>http://www.life2project.eu

Funded by: FP7/ICT - E.U

The high-level objective of the SHADOWS project was to increase significantly the competitiveness of the European IT industry through the introduction of an integrated model-based paradigm for developing self healing software systems. The project’s paradigm, building on an integrated set of new self-healing technologies, mitigates the challenge of growing software complexity and its detrimental impact on software reliability.

In this project, we aimed to systematically address the software complexity crisis, which carries painful costs for the IT industry in terms of quality and management costs. As computing systems become more powerful, more pervasive and more interconnected, the resources involved in developing and managing them are growing at an alarming rate and their reliability is deteriorating. SHADOWS enables the development of complex software systems of high and durable quality, with lower development and maintenance costs.

The project targets are large and heterogeneous software systems with multiple dimensions of complexity, such as distribution and intricate interdependencies, dynamicity (reconfiguration and evolution), legacy system constraints, complex hardware, and possibly incomplete or missing specifications and source code. Such systems can be found in many important application domains including, but not limited to, industrial control systems, e-commerce enterprise applications, service-based architectures, telecommunication systems, and other application domains. SHADOWS targets three generic requirements that underlie software quality and reliability in all complex systems: (1) adherence to functional requirements, (2) robust performance and (3) safe utilization of concurrency. At a technical level, SHADOWS provides a cost-effective self-healing solution for functional deviations, performance bottlenecks, and concurrency problems. We generically describe self-healing as a repetitive four-stage process: detection, localization of faults, healing and assurance. The detection stage reveals or predicts the presence of a problem. The localization stage identifies the fault that caused the problem. The healing stage provides for automatic or semi-automatic problem remediation. Lastly, the assurance stage examines the healing to ensure that it solves the problem and that it does not introduce new problems.

Funded by FP6/IST - E.U.

Prior to new solution or optimization proposals, the existing solution (particularly those applicable to the Metro Ethernet market) is analysed with respect to the competing solutions. The analysis contains a panorama of current solutions (Virtual Private LAN Service as developed by the IETF L2 VPN Working Group, 802.1ad Provider Bridges, 802.1ah Provider Backbone Bridges, etc.) with respective service support such as Transparent LAN Service (TLS), virtual private line services, technology features (data and control) as well as Standardization status. In addition, emerging solutions (such as Rbridges, Layer 2 Label Switched Paths, proprietary VLAN switching and control) are identified in parallel to the elaboration of the new set of requirements and associated study case (operational modes) representative of the reconsidered central role of Ethernet.

Three main axis serve a prior as guidelines for the new solution(s): enhancement of the adaptation capabilities between IP and Ethernet (e.g. definition of sub-network layer), extend usage of GMPLS control capabilities to Ethernet data plane (i.e. flow-oriented approach) and determine the behaviour of the IP layer on top of these new solution(s). Complete description of the new functions and related protocol architecture is provided and illustrated as application reference study cases.

The solutions proposed are demonstrated and evaluated through detailed benchmarking studies including criteria such as cost (at least through dimensioning evaluation), performances, scalability and more generally capabilities with respect to the requirements targeted initially. Finally, migration and required actions at appropriate standardization body are undertaken to enable wide endorsement and interoperability of the proposed solution

Funded by self-funding / CELTIC

The purpose of the project was the research and development of an integrated system for the safe transmission of information to mobile terminals and PDAs, in the form of text, image and video. The development of the system is based on cutting-edge technologies for the transmission and presentation of information. The transmission of the information is through the use of wireless networks, in order to enable the use of the proposed services by the rapidly evolving wireless and broadband networks and the 3G mobile telecommunication networks. A major field of application for the proposed system is the athletic and cultural events. Recent year’s investment in athletic infrastructure demands the development of business plans for their use. The organization of international athletic and cultural events is necessary for the maintenance of the above mentioned infrastructure. The suggested integrated system offers high quality services to the spectators, resulting in the introduction of an important income for the organizers, whether they are private enterprises or public organizations.

Funded by PAVET-NE - GSR

This project focused on the societies of the ageing population and the ways that can provide higher quality of living to the elderly people. During this project was developed a mobile and remote monitoring device based on the use of kinematics sensors (accelerometers and gyroscopes), to evaluate users mobility and to detect users falls. The system is detecting a fall and automatically alerting to a hospital, carer or family member about it in order to assist the fallen person immediately and in this way improves the security of elderly people at home. The system alerts automatically even if the user is not able to move because of injuries suffered during fall. The system also incorporates GPS technology in order to determine users continuing localization if needed and to send exact information of user localization when detecting a fall. Adding to this, the system is able to distinguish efficiently between static and dynamic movements in order to send periodically average data of user’s activity via conventional communication system (SMS or e-mail). This information is analyzed by carers to evaluate users moving ability. Mobility is a subjective quality that indicates users’ vitality, strength and physiological well being. In case of system failure and for safety reason, the user is able to activate the alarm if a fall has occurred and no alarm has been sent. On the other hand the user is able to deny an automatic alarm if the system has send a false alarm or even if a fall has occurred but it hasn’t produced any consequence to the user.
Funded by CRAFT – E.U.

This project resulted at the creation of a system which enables electronic transactions via mobile devices over GRPS and 3G Networks. The services offered, through which the users of this system are able to carry out transactions, concern the sector of Tourism. The software achieves secure services through Mobile Internet for:

Payments of deposits or debts for tickets or rooms

Payments for car renting

Information on local services, hotels and restaurants.

The payment features covered by the system are

Money transfer from one bank account to another

Debit and credit through mobile telephone accounts

Credit card payments

Financial transactions are made in cooperation with chosen banking institutions and mobile networks companies. The above modules are applied to several areas of Tourism such as car rental, room letting and ticketing. The content includes general and detailed information, photographs and video clips. The data can be updated via the Internet and via an advanced I.V.R. (Interactive Voice Response) application.

Funded by GSRT

In this project, simple-to-implement station association/handover and AP power control methods that increase the efficiency of wireless LANs were studied and designed. The association/handover method is based in maximization of the network throughput forcing the stations to associate with the AP that can provide the maximum (estimated) bi-directional link rate. Thus, association decision takes into consideration conditions in both the uplink and downlink channels. Meanwhile, the AP power control method adjusts the maximum allowable transmission power, in order to control the future user associations. The AP power control is used to minimize the interference and balance the load among the cells.

In this project the efficiency of the mechanisms described is measured, by analytical methods and simulations. Mechanisms in OPNET are simulated and their efficiency is measured. Additionally, the way the proposed mechanisms react in environments with mobility is studied, which is very common in wireless networks.

Funded by GSRT - Joint research Greece-USA

The objective of this project was to develop a compact and integrated system that would ensure the safe transmission and receipt of medical images in a hospital environment that is run under wireless links. This was done by combining the current wireless networking security (WEP) with an additional level of security provided by digital watermarking.

The existing WEP-based security is enhanced by the data integrity control that fragile watermarking provides, thus leading to a compact security solution. A transparent software-implemented embedder and decoder inserts/extracts respectively the watermark from the image.

Funded by GSRT – Joint research Greece-Britain

The aim of this project was to develop an integrated access control system for the authentication of accredited persons during the athletic and cultural events. The system minimizes security risks and offers the possibility to intelligently monitor the movement of accredited persons within the premises of an event. The development of the system is based on state of the art technologies and infrastructures including RFID smart card technologies, biometrics, data security techniques and mobile communications networks. The strength of the system is centered on the indubitable biometric identification method (fingerprint scanning), complemented by the ease of use offered by the RFID technology and the portability resulting from the use of already available mobile communications infrastructures (GSM, GPRS).

The system is characterized by enhanced security levels, through the use of biometric techniques, and the ability to monitor the movement of accredited persons.

The system is fast and reliable, cost effective and interoperable with existing infrastructure.

Funded by *GSRT