This workshop aims at considering the evolution of today’s simple RFID wireless tags, into large scale, IP interoperable and distributed wireless networks of objects and devices.

Questions to be addressed during the workshop include:

1. Which major new technological developments can be expected?
2. Which networking technologies will be required?
3. Which innovative applications can be unleashed given the added functionality of such networked devices?
4. Which particular spectrum requirements will arise and what are the prospects for innovative spectrum efficient technologies and interference mitigation techniques applying to myriads of networked devices?
5. Which implications can be expected from such technological developments, notably on ethical and privacy matters? How best to respond to security threats that will be posed by such technologies?
6. What sociological and usability issues are related to pervasive networked technologies? What can be done to minimize possible harmful effects and lower the citizens’ fears against pervasive technologies such as RFID and beyond?
7. Which new regulatory, management and governance issues will such large scale networks create?

The workshop will be organised in a number of distinct sessions as follows:

a) Review the State of the Art related to pervasive communication systems and architectural concepts, including evolutionary trends and their implication on underlying issues such as protocols, reconfigurability, middleware, context awareness, security, privacy; radio and MAC technologies...
b) Review the application potential of pervasive and ubiquitous networked systems and how the technology may offer further opportunities to the ICT industry;
c) Presentation of the status of the various related IST initiative currently running under the 6th Framework Programme of the European Union;
d) Presentation of on-going or planned initiatives in other parts of the world;
e) Identification of potential barriers to deployment

While placed in the specific context of the preparation of the ICT Thematic Objective under the 7th Framework Programme covering the 2007-2013 period, the workshop will also provide an opportunity to assess the extent to which technological developments in this field, may raise significantly new policy, regulatory, consumer acceptance issues.