Infrastructures for collaborative networks - an application in elderly care

Applications of collaborative networks are increasingly emerging in diverse domains such as, for instance, elderly care. The growth in the elderly population imposes an urgent need to develop new approaches to care provision. Integration of a number of technologies such as multiagent systems, federated information management, safe communications, hypermedia interfaces, rich sensorial environments, and increased intelligence in home appliances represents an important enabling factor for the design and development of virtual elderly support community environments. In this paper, the experience in developing an infrastructure based on mobile agents combined with federated information management mechanisms is described, as well as its initial evaluation as a basis to support the development of vertical valued-added services.