Internet, GRID, Self-Adaptability and Beyond: Are We Ready?

This paper reflects different understanding and positions on future trends of GRID-oriented technologies, applications, and networks, as perceived by representatives from industry and academia. There is no definitive answer on the topic that is raised in the title. Instead, the question serves as a starting point for a discussion of methodologies to apply, of engineering requirements to consider, of technical challenges to resolve harnessing this next stage of evolution of the Internet. The panel guests present their perception on these issues. Is GRID the Internet-ng? What do GRID and self-adaptable applications have in common? Does GRID facilitate the adaptability of applications? Where would the Internet, as it exists today, fall short? Will Web Services come to the rescue? Are there new paradigms associated with heavily shared resources (infrastructure, protocols, services, user communities)? Which major bumps are ahead the roads for self-adaptability over GRID, how can they be crossed, at what cost, and what new paradigms are associated along this road? These are all open questions with no definitive conclusion, discussed from the point of view of what constitutes the state of the art today. Responses are intended to stimulate thought and foster discussion, rather than being a comprehensive treatise of the subject.