Awards February 2008

The winners of the February 2008 call are:

• SIP client for IM, Presence and File transfer based on MSRP protocol. This project will implement an open source SIP SIMPLE MSRP client that will provide a complete end-user experience for near real-time encrypted text communications and end-to-end file transfer capability over the Internet. This client will replace proprietary applications that user today are usually using on their desktop with one a consolidated open source SIP software and will enable third party applications by the use of an open API. The client will support presence indications and buddy list management, text and file transfer multi-media communication using IETF standards (SIP SIMPLE).
• UMTSMon. Umtsmon is a program to handle/control 3G mobile network cards and mobile phones from Linux and use them to access the internet in a consumer-friendly way. Results of the project will enable Linux users to use Mobile 3G laptop cards and/or mobile phones (over usb and/or Bluetooth) to connect to the Internet from anywhere (as long as it has network coverage). The major problem with UMTSmon is the wide variety in hardware it has to support. To resolve hardware issue all popular devices will be bought, the incompatibilities will be fixed up, documenting how to work with that particular device will be written. Also testing will be automated and professionalized.
• Investigation on security of mediaplayers with UPnP. One of the new trends in home entertainment is the use of networked mediaplayers and mediaservers. Many of the mediaplayers use the UPnP A/V protocol to make and distribute of the content. Earlier research has shown that some of UPnP protocols are not securely implemented. Although lots of equipment is being sold now, there was no serious independent research made on their security, while there are known security. The threat model can include: 1) Steeling the content from a MediaServer; 2) Play unrequested content on a mediaplayer (audio/video spamming). These two scenarios are never analysed. The aim of the project is to investigate the most serious and statistically the most often forthcoming security britches in this equipment and to show how easy they can be misused.
• OpenStreetMap Belgium. OpenStreetMap Belgium is a loosely-knit team of OpenStreetMap International comprised of Belgian volunteers aiming creation of free geographic data such as street maps to anyone who wants them. The project was started because most maps you think of as free actually have legal or technical restrictions on their use, holding back people from using them in creative, productive or unexpected ways. Openstreetmap Belgium strives to work in close cooperation with volunteer teams around the world, especially in neighbouring countries. There will be 10 GPS data loggers bought, which will be directly used for mapping.
• FLOSS Manuals Print on Demand services will Integrate the content (Open Source manuals) creation platform with Print on Demand services. This will enable collaborative authoring of manuals online, and the output directly to book form available for purchase via a print on demand service. Many prefer reading reference materials from a book. Hence the wish is to extend and optimise the print-on-demand processes as the current workflow is inefficient and not sustainable.

Additionally NLnet decided to sponsor the three day European meeting of GNU project maintainers in Bristol aimed to stimulate continued innovation in GNU software, to provide mutual technical assistance for GNU developers, and to increase distribution security through direct keysigning.

NLnet congratulates the projects that were awarded and encourages others to apply for financial and other support by NLnet for their projects in their next call with deadline April 1st 2008