Abstract
The Internet "connectivity machine" is the generative engine of our modern digital society. It has been the launching pad of the Web (now the Web 2.0), truly the largest and most versatile information system ever built. While the Web phenomenon relentlessly continues, scientists worldwide are now living the dream of yet a more generative next-generation network. This chapter explores some prominent research directions, discussing the Internet of Things, context-aware networks, small world networks, scale-free networks, autonomic networks, dependable networks, the privacy vs. security dichotomy and the two facets of energy-efficient networks. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.