• Messaging: It will be linked with the Electronic mail facilities and it will be consolidated as a multimedia tool for the transmission and receipt of messages. This tool will be established with the ability to provide a mailbox infrastructure for a broad range of notes and document types and sizes; in conjunction with value added services like format - conversion or computer translation according to the recipient preferences.
• Access to databases: Point - to - point interactive transmission providing the capability for browsing in databases and for retrieving data sets of a volume typical for text and graphic databases.
• Joint editing: It will allow the small groups to collaborate in writing and editing a text. It will be configured as an specific mail box to allow a temporary database file and it will be built according with the complete information about the events, distributed deliverables, milestones. This tool will have an emulation of a teleconference on line emulation and it will allow the possibility to have a direct dialogue with interested users in an specific project or activity.
• Interpersonal communication: Use of the desktop computer, its data and technical features as a support tool for interpersonal communication: telephone number indications in text; organisation of a telephone conference, transfer of notes and files during the communication process.

The EPITELIO facilities can be compared with basic software tools in the PC and Macintosh market (word processor, spreadsheet and /figuras). They will provide for the user an interesting tool for the tele-cooperation. This set of Generic Services forms the EPITELIO Common Service Interface. The functionality of these generic services will be developed according with the availability and economically viable capabilities from the use of the infrastructure based on the Internet and current technologies.

The other face of facilities from this telematic application will be linked with information and support services. EPITELIO - Network will be organised as an opened services platform giving a wide range of services which will be supported by the members of the consortium at the beginning of the service. This initial set of EPITELIO information and support services will be formed by:

• EPITELIO Tele - training: This services will open up a wide range of self - training programmes that the user can retrieve as a multimedia story board with the options to be interactive (based on hypermedia systems). This teletraining will be based on the better ways to seek an employment, how to create, how to identify the better characteristics of potential opportunities to have a job, how to be a teleworker in Europe, etc.
• EPITELIO Tele - meeting point: This service will be configured as a virtual exhibition of facilities, materials, human resources (expertise, volunteers, ...), documentation, products, services, legal texts, projects, programmes, welfare facilities, etc, to provide to excluded people and groups linked with the fight against social exclusion and cooperation with an interface to facilitate the contact between them.
• EPITELIO Living electronic Newsletter: This service will provide information in up to three layers ranging from short news highlights to detailed reference material in a hypertext document. The reader will have the possibility to access all the different layers using hypertext access path. This concept of information provision combines elements of "publishing on demand" with the appetising effect of "guided browsing".
• EPITELIO Projects and Initiatives: This services will open up a set similar as an help - desk with the possibility to have a powerful tool in order to create an initiative (R & D project, enterprise initiative, cooperation programme, etc). A kind of virtual help desk will be created which matches questions with the appropriate experts working in different organisations at different sites.

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EPITELO Network is an initiative to stimulate the cooperation between the European marginal groups. This innovative telematic application is designed for the people involved in the fight against social exclusion. They will participate in all phases of the project. EPITELIO - Network will establish a first period to recognize the needs of the excluded people in their attempts to integrate into European society and the potentialities provided by the use of telematics. EPITELIO Network is related with this objective through work in the following areas:

• Valorisation of the personal treatment of the problems and alternatives for excluded groups.
• Improve the coordination and cooperation between the social agents from private and public sectors.
• Facilitate access to European Union policies and the synergy between them.
• Ensure ongoing validation and verification of the Telematic tool generated by EPITELIO - Network with active user participation.
• Facilitate access and dissemination of information and services oriented toward ensuring the integration of excluded groups (educational trials and services).
• Improve self training and self - help schemes by including teletrading schemes and social contact groups.
• Increase access of socially excluded groups to innovative opportunities favoured by the use of telecommunications such as telework and the speedy interchange of services across Europe.

The EPITELIO - Network project is a new concept in the treatment and stimulation of social integration, by creating an advanced communication based tool (Internet - World Wide Web) and offer support services to Non Governmental Organisations and end users as well as research institutions and by developing an organisational framework and procedure to identify potential participants and to encourage them to take part in research projects and self - employment initiatives in the field of advanced communications and telematics wherever the fight against social exclusion is necessary.

EPITELIO will be carried out on an Internet based network in twenty pilot sites (NGOs, research centres, a network of "alternative" shops and public administrations) where there will be implemented an EPITELIO platform of basic and value added services "toolbox for cooperation".

The EPITELIO organisational framework and procedures will be based on the identification of potential participants who are able to and interested in taking part in cooperation campaigns in Europe, to encourage the partnership between NGOs and research centres across Europe, to encourage the partnership between NGOs and research centres across Europe and carry out stimulation activities (workshops, seminars, meetings, etc.), with the aim of supporting current or potential project ideas across Europe (mainly focused on the potentials of telework for social projects).

Main objectives:

EPITELIO - Network meets the objectives of the research tasks outlined under the area number four of the Urban and Rural Areas Sector of the T.A.P. "Teleworking and Teleservices to Fight against Social and Economic Exclusion" (UR 4.1, UR 4.3) whose main objective is ...

Explore the potential of telematics (including teleworking) for the better integration of socially dependent, economically deprived groups and the unemployed within the economy and within society in general.

EPITELIO - Network is related with this objective through the work in following areas:

• Valorisation of the personal treatment of the problems and alternatives for excluded groups.
• Improve the coordination and cooperation between the social agents from private and public sectors.
• Facilitate the access to European Union Policies and synergies between them.
• Ensure ongoing validation and verification of the Telematic tool generated by EPITELIO - Network with the actively user participation.
• Facilitate the access and dissemination of information and services oriented to ensure the integration of excluded groups (Educational trials and services).
• Improve the self training and self - help schemes by including teletrading schemes and social contact groups.
• Increase the access to social excluded groups to innovative opportunities favoured by the use of telecommunications such as the telework and the speedy interchange of services across Europe.

The network concept is that EPITELIO partnership will have get the commitment to create an European association or a grouping of EEIGs (European Economic Interest Group) which can be able to ensure the pan - european characteristics of EPITELIO - Network, to have enough economies of scale to support the continuous R+D efforts needed to maintain the project's initial cooperation advantages and to make compatible the market driven but non - profit character of the proposed scheme.

The application is describing as a telematic useful tool of common interest. This application will cover the aforementioned areas of work ...

... by creating an advanced communication based tool (Internet - World Wide Web) and offer support services to Non Governamental Organisations and end users as well as the research institutions.

... by developing an organisational framework and procedure to identify potential participants to encourage tem to take part in research projects and initiatives in the field of advanced communications and telematics wherever the fight against social exclusion is possible.

This advanced communication based tool and services will be based on following characteristics:

Set up an Internet based Network in Spain, Italy, Portugal, The Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Ireland, United Kingdom, Norway and Greece, connecting some 20 central contact points, open to all intermediate users linked with current networks of NGOs (mainly, APC and TERN) and Research Centres in Europe as well as extendible to Central, Eastern Europe and North of Africa countries.

Create "EPITELIO Common Service Interface", offering generic service as a "toolbox for cooperation" and as a platform for the provision of external services. This interface will allow to the intermediate and end users to access to the network of technical assistance, educational programmes, interchange of european volunteers, specific information from European Policies and a panoply of useful resources to the fight against social exclusion.

Develop an integrated service concept which allows to offer a low cost service viable for use by intermediate and end users as well as a commercial viable service for use by individual SMEs linked with excluded people (with an special mention for handicapped people without an easy access to the conventional market flow).

The EPITELIO organisational framework and procedure will be based on following items:

Identify around 200 organisations oriented to the work with social excluded people and cooperation groups in Europe and 100 scientific organisations for the different project lines of social integration.

Identify potential participants, who are able and interested to take part in or use the results of UE R&D actions in the field of the fight against social exclusion and the use of telematics (such as a tool for the efficiency on project and social programmes management).

Encourage the partnership between NGOs and research centres across Europe.

Develop and carry out at least 10 stimulation activities (workshops, seminars, meetings, etc), with the aim to support current or potential 20 project ideas across Europe. EPITELIO will have the commitment to support the development of these in order to be defined as 20 fully outlined research and development proposals to be submmited to calls of the European Union Initiatives (with or without direct relationship with 4 th Framework Programme).

Use and cooperate with other complementary information services and support infrastructures (like for example Euro Infocentres and Rural Carrefours).