McCormick, N J; Lawrence, K (2002) The impact of new Internet technologies on SmartManuals and other MATC Internet projects. NPL Report. MATC(A)97

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Abstract

There are two main Internet technologies that have impact on current MATC Internet projects. These are Wireless communication technologies and Internet payment options.
Wireless access to the Internet is now a viable technology; systems are readily available, cheap and with sufficient hardware resources to allow the use of SmartManuals systems in the field away from the office. This allows some truly powerful systems to be created, such as Smart Corrosion Guides. The use of these guides could revolutionise the identification of defects, material degradation, etc., in the field and prove a valuable tool for service engineers, trouble-shooters and technicians.
There are many different Internet payment options available. After consultation with vendors of on-line services, it was found that they are most in favour of subscription payment since it provides a more dependable cash flow. At present, most technical users see the Internet as a source of information, without realising that the information is only free, with the exception of government and university programmes, because it has been provided to boost sales or it is a public device. As the Internet matures and users become more accustomed to pay for services, such as newspapers, magazines, etc. then the reluctance to pay for information can be expected to diminish.
Different payment options exist at present, each with its appropriate niche. For accessing the types of Internet services that could benefit UK industry, there are several appropriate technologies. For frequent users, a subscription system maybe the most beneficial system, whilst for the infrequent users a pay-per-view system, probably using a micro-payment scheme, would be the most appropriate. In the services that NPL may want to provide, a hybrid system is needed that allows both types of access. This would probably most easily achieved by the use of an electronic wallet, that could be filled using a subscription or by buying tokens. For SME's, a system could be developed that allows automatic access to a number of free tokens either by virtue of the organisation being a member of a NPL club or being on a central registry of SME's held by the Department of Trade and Industry.

Item Type:	Report/Guide (NPL Report)
NPL Report No.:	MATC(A)97
Keywords:	smart manuals, wireless, Internet, payment
Subjects:	Advanced Materials Advanced Materials > Materials Modelling
Last Modified:	02 Feb 2018 13:17
URI:	http://eprintspublications.npl.co.uk/id/eprint/2424

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