Context-aware wireless mobile autonomic computing and communications: research trends and emerging applications

Growing attention has recently been devoted to context-aware computing and communication systems, in particular concerning their evolution toward the new paradigm of context-aware autonomic computing and communications. Indeed, context awareness and autonomicity appear to be the indispensable glue technologies to accomplish efficient integration of modern software-intensive cyber-physical systems, operating in open and non-deterministic environments, and to master their complexity. This article provides an update on the latest developments in this field. Proposed methodologies and techniques are discussed and framed in the overall research problem. Moreover, future trends and research challenges are outlined by relating the basic concepts of context-aware autonomic computing and communications to the emerging paradigm of the self-aware Internet of Things, applications of which appear to be very promising examples of next-generation computing and communication systems.