Remote device command and resource sharing over the Internet: a new approach based on a distributed layered architecture

In addition to the remote access and computer-augmented functionality brought about by the earliest modalities of distance operation, technical advances in the form of telematics have opened up a whole new range of applications, one of which, resource sharing, deserves special attention. Nonetheless, while distance operations through computer networks, and particularly over the Internet, have attracted a great deal of attention in recent years, there is still a noticeable lack of important acquisitions regarding the systemic treatment of essential issues in this field. This paper presents an overview of the current trends in this emerging interdisciplinary area and briefly comments on the fundamentals of telematics-supported distance operation. A case study is used to report on an experience involving methodological investigations in this area.