A reference model for model-based configuration of telecooperation systems

Telecooperation means to fulfil different tasks within distributed (study) groups with the help of multimedia communication services and systems, so called telecooperation systems (Tcoop system). The immense progress in the underlying information and telecommunication technology increases the functionality, variability, and complexity of such Tcoop systems. In addition there is a great demand for Tcoop systems individually tailored to the customer's need in an increasingly competitive market. Providers of telecommunication services traditionally have used computer based support systems to fulfil parts of this task. However, up to now, advantage has seldom been taken of a model based approach to this problem which could help to cover the whole process. The paper is concerned with the concepts, the architecture, the representation, and the semantics of a reference model used for this purpose and shows how the configuration of the Tcoop system can be based on that.