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Preface

In the field of medicine, a pervasive communication environment, for example, will

enable hospitals to gather all information about a patient while they are being transported to the hospital. By the time the patient arrives at the hospital, information about
the medical history of the patient, medicines being administered, vital signs, etc. will
not only be already available to medical professionals but may also have been analyzed
and decisions made about the most likely treatment options. The pervasiveness of this
environment will enable many more applications, which will, undoubtedly, change the
way in which we conduct our daily lives.
The aim of this book is to cover all these topics, contributed by experts in this field.
The book has 21 chapters that tackle three aspects of pervasive communications: (1)
technology; (2) architecture; and (3) applications. In the technology section we have
contributions on quality of service routing in mobile networks, a survey and categorization of MAC protocols, low power design for Smart Dust Networks, security and reliability in wireless sensor networks, and more covering other aspects of the technology.
In the architecture section we have contributions on P2P-based VoD architecture, and
interoperability in a pervasive environment. And finally in the application section we
discuss how pervasive communication is helping health care providers and energy companies better manage their vital assets.
The Handbook should be useful for anyone who deals with or intends to become
involved with the field of pervasive communication. The targeted audience for the
Handbook includes professionals who are designers and developers for pervasive communication, researchers (faculty members and graduate students), and those who would
like to learn about this field.
Many people have contributed to this Handbook: first and foremost are the researchers and technical professionals who have contributed 21 chapters. These people deserve
our appreciation for taking the time out of their busy schedules to contribute to this
book. We would also like to thank Andrea Dale, Ashley Gasque, and Jessica Vakili for
their patience and hard work.
We also extend our very special thanks to our families for their unconditional love
and support throughout this project.
Syed Ijlal Ali Shah
Mohammad Ilyas
Hussein Mouftah