Mobile middleware for the reconfigurable software radio

The maturing technologies and concepts for software radio mean that reconfigurability is fast becoming reality. The functions and RF configuration of the mobile terminal, the services it supports, and the applications accessible to it can all be selected, installed, and executed on demand. Mobile middleware provides the glue that matches the requirements of the applications and their users to the capabilities of the terminals and networks. The state of the art in distributed processing systems built on an Internet platform must be integrated with advanced telecommunications functions of the intelligent network and UMTS to provide the environment in which this middleware operates. We explore the issues of integration, the components of mobile middleware, and likely demands placed on such systems when mobile access comes to dominate personal communications.