Integrating the Periphery and Context: A New Model of Telematics

From many directions, we hear about a new era of telematics, emerging from a convergence of telecommunications, computer and consumer electronics technologies, and its potential for social benefit. However, of the resources invested in developing telematics applications, the majority are spent on so-called (but unproven) 'killer' applications, such as home shopping and video on demand. Our belief is that the real promise of telem!tics, and the opportunities for realizing social benefits, lie in the symbiotic relationships among a suite of applications, rather than the value of anyone killer' application. We introduce a new model directed at supporting a holistic way of thinking about such systems, a prime property of which is the consideration it gives to both foreground and background interactions.