Real-time synchronization is increasingly available in webbased environments for editing textual data, and this has changed how groups of people collaborate. We present a novel approach for real-time collaborative editing of geo-data. We introduce Ethermap, an open source webapplication that implements this approach and enables multiple users to map data concurrently. It supports synchronous and collaborative mapping in several ways: it visually highlights mapping activities, it allows for fine-grained reviewing of all changes, and it enhances text-based communication with cross-modal references to geo-objects.We report on key results from a multi-tiered evaluation of Ethermap based on a user-study and on expert interviews. The concept of real-time collaborative editing was received favorably by users and experts. Participants of the study learned to use Ethermap quickly, and successfully completed a collaborative mapping task. Experts and users agreed that, given the right scenario (e.g., disaster mapping, teaching, planning), the approach could benefit the process of working on geo-data collaboratively.

Ubiquitous computing techniques are ideal tools to bring new solutions to environments which are otherwise quite resistant to rapid change. In this paper we present techniques to carry out experiments in the very heterogeneous environment of a hospital's decision making conference, the ''tumour board''. Introducing the concept of surface interaction we demonstrate how information from various sources such as X-ray film, slide presentations and projections of CT scans together with oral comments and typed notes can be captured and made available for surgeons' use in the operating theatre, without interfering with the ''old'' way of holding the meeting and without putting any extra burden on the hospital staff.Ein Ansatz zum Erproben ubiquitä rer Informationstechnik in produktiven Umgebungen.Ubiquitä re Informationstechnologien sind geeignete Werkzeuge, um innovative Lö sungen in Umgebungen einzufü hren, die in der Regel eher konservativ sind und in denen Neuerungen sonst hä ufig auf Widerstand stoßen. In diesem Beitrag stellen die Autoren einen Ansatz vor, der es ermö glicht, die Wirkung neuer Technologien in der heterogenen Umgebung eines Krankenhauses zu untersuchen. Hierzu wird eine typische Konferenzsituation, das so genannte ,,Tumor-Board'', in der das medizinische Personal ü ber Patienten spricht und Entscheidungen ü ber Therapien und Vorgehensweisen fä llt, betrachtet. Die Autoren fü hren das Konzept der Interaktion mit Oberflä chendaten (z. B. Videoausgaben fü r die Projektion oder Datenströ me von der Tastatur) ein und zeigen, wie damit Daten von verschiedenen Quellen wie Rö ntgenfilmen, digitale Folienprä sentationen oder CT-Daten zusammen mit mü ndlichen Kommentaren aus der Diskussion in der Konferenz aufgezeichnet und spä ter dem Chirurgen im OP zugä nglich gemacht werden kö nnen. Der Ansatz zeichnet sich dadurch aus, dass die traditionelle Vorgehensweise bei der Entscheidungskonferenz beibehalten wird und dass durch die Aufzeichnung keine zusä tzliche Arbeit fü r das beteiligte medizinische Personal entsteht.Schlü sselwö rter: ubiquitä re Informationssysteme; Medizininformatik; benutzerzentriertes Design; Mensch-Maschine-Interaktion IntroductionUbiquitous computing ideas and prototypes have been around in research labs for several years. Still it is very difficult to find real deployments in productive environments. Even experiments where ubiquitous computing technologies are integrated with productive real-world are rare (Davies et al., 2005). In our case study we look at how the flow of information, work process interaction, communication processes as well as decision making practices in a hospital environment can be enhanced with new technologies. We aim to introduce novel technologies, known and investigated in ubiquitous computing research, into a complex work environment without disrupting established work processes.The paper is organized as follows. First we provide details about the application domain and the overall setting in which the research is conducted. In this context we look in detail...

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