OPENi defines and delivers an open-source web platform that enables applications to access and use a broad spectrum of existing cloud-based functionality and content, consistently across different devices and platforms, in a way that enables a user-centric application experience. Targeting the needs of both application Developers and Users, OPENi realizes its vision for user-centric, cloud-connected, applications by providing:

    ▪ To Developers, a platform-independent technology framework to build applications, that can seamlessly integrate

       publicly available cloud-based functionality and content.
    ▪ To Users, the necessary cloud solutions to realize a novel application experience, by being able to keep their user   

      generated content and data in the cloud and further make itavailable across different applications on different devices.

To enable this, OPENi will realize a series of innovations in accessing and using cloud-based functionality, binding dynamically to publicly available cloud-based APIs, sourcing and rendering cloud-based content across different device types, underlying operating systems and establishing a framework for web security and authorization in accessing cloud-based resources.

OPENi is a significant catalyzing factor, boosting the EU software industry – which already counts a considerable number of highly skilled SME software firms – to take further advantage of the thriving market of mobile applications, through a framework of open technologies that will be readily available and require almost no additional skill to take up.

The timing for such an effort is crucial. Platforms such as iOS and Android are establishing their dominant position in the applications market. At the same time, web and cloud technologies are ever more maturing and gaining acceptance in application development. OPENi harnesses this technological power and constitutes an EU effort that equally benefits Developers and Users in this thriving ecosystem.