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Programmes
in Convergence
Each of the three programmes concerned with information
and communication technologies under the European Union's Fourth
Framework Programme (1994-1998) supported hundreds of research
and demonstration projects in fields as diverse as integrated
circuit design techniques and telecommuting in rural areas.
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The three
programmes were:
- ACTS
(Advanced Communications and Technology Services): ACTS has been
a core element of the European Union 's efforts to accelerate the
deployment of advanced communications technologies and services. The
ECU 630 million programme focused its research activities on areas
such as interactive multimedia services, optical transmission technologies,
high-speed networking and mobile communications. The programme also
provided 'testbeds' to help companies verify, demonstrate and test
their technology with users, and invented two new programme structures:
Domains, which brought together organisations working in a specific
defined technical area; and vertically integrated Chains, linking
enabling technologies to end applications.
- Esprit
(Information Technologies): With a budget of over ECU 1.9 billion,
Information Technologies (Esprit) was the largest single research
programme within the Fourth Framework Programme. It was dominated
by four generic research domains (from long-term research to software
technologies), and another four business-oriented clusters: microprocessors,
high-performance computing and networking, technologies for business
processes and integration in manufacturing. There were also a wide
variety of trial applications, demonstration projects, actions to
stimulate the take up of project results by industry, training activities,
studies of best practices, and much more.
- TAP
(Telematics Applications Programme): While Advanced Communications
and Technology Services (ACTS) concentrated on the communication technologies
underpinning the information society, the ECU 843 million Telematics
Application Programme focused on adapting current and emerging technologies
into useful, user-friendly and cost-effective applications for companies,
institutions and citizens. It focused on applying telematics to public
services (administrations, transport), knowledge (research, libraries,
education and training), improving employment and quality of life
and a range of generic telematics technologies, such as language and
information engineering.
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