Unlike desktop software that assumes a full user attention, a static view of the user environment and stable operating conditions, mobile and ubiquitous scenarios underline the importance of letting the user concentrate on his tasks rather than on computing activities and of adapting applications, if possible pro-actively, to changing user needs and contexts. These requirements introduce complexity in the development of mobile and ubiquitous software.

Mobile and ubiquitous computing has been a strategic R&D area for SINTEF ICT since early 2000 and we have acquired considerable experience in research, technology development and application development in this area. This has lead to the initiation and coordination of a number of European research projects, such as AmbieSense (context tagging), MIDAS (context distribution), MADAM and MUSIC (self-adaptation), SIMS (dynamic service composition). Currently our work addresses different challenges, such as software engineering tools for the development of context-aware self-adaptive mobile software and end-user framework for the tailoring of ubiquitous environments. We are also investigating new application areas such as the merging of ubiquitous computing and social computing.