Mobile Cloud Computing and Wireless Sensor Networks: A review, integration architecture, and future directions

Abstract

Abstract In today's fast advancing world, sensors are used in various applications to provide complete data about different objects present around us. The sensor data when integrated with Mobile Cloud Computing (MCC) is used for further computation to provide useful results advanced warning, forecasting, planning, and plethora of other applications in this uncertain world. Few works have been proposed where sensor nodes are integrated with Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) which give a new direction in modern research for developing new technologies which help the users for fast access of sensory data over mobile devices. Herein, a systematic literature review of both MCC and WSNs are conducted and subsequently assimilated them via an architecture which is efficient and achievable within short time‐span for a variety of applications. The MCC applications are reviewed from two main perspectives that are energy and information management. The communication aspect in MCC and WSNs has been discussed and the need for integration between the two has been justified in this work. The work done on mobility management in MCC and WSNs is reviewed. Also, the challenges in MCC‐WSNs integration along with the comprehensive analysis and findings of the review are identified. Finally, the conclusion and specific future direction of research in this area are provided.

Keywords

• information management
• mobile computing
• mobility management (mobile radio)
• wireless sensor networks
• cloud computing