The Alhambra hosts a meeting of experts to debate the use of cloud-based technological applications in cultural environments

The Alhambra officially climbs aboard the cloud with the TAG CLOUD European I+D+i Project. This is a computer application which when developed will enable users to access personalized cultural contents in line with their particular tastes and which will also be linked with contents from other cultural institutions.
Cloud computing is a new form of internet-based computer technology which enables the user to access and use programmes and files from anywhere in the world from a PC, tablet, iPad or smartphone. Facebook, Twitter and Flirckr are just some examples of services provided in the cloud.  
With this initiative which is co-financed by the European Commission (www.tagcloudproject.eu) as part of the 7th Framework Programme, the Alhambra “takes a step forward in research into new uses of technology in the culture sector”.
This morning the Director of the Council of the Alhambra and Generalife, María del Mar Villafranca, and the coordinator of the Project, María Fernanda Cabrera from the Polytechnic University in Madrid, along with representatives of numerous institutions and private companies with links to the world of Heritage have taken part in a day of debate, in order to exchange their experiences in relation to the application of Cloud-based Technologies in cultural settings, above all in the use of augmented reality techniques, storytelling, etc.
Other participants in the debate included the managers of the Alcazaba in Almería, the Thyssen Museum in Málaga, Itálica, the Alcázar in Sevilla, the Dolmen Archaeological Complex in Antequera and the Fine Arts Museum in Granada, among others.
“This is the Alhambra of the 21st-century. Projects like the TAG CLOUD will enable us to create cultural contents so that the visitors to the monument can receive information in a personalized manner. In this way it establishes effective communication between supply and demand. The use of technologies creates a personalized cultural experience which benefits everybody” said the Director of the Alhambra.
The objective of the workshop is to allow experts from the sector to exchange experiences and to identify opportunities for the application of Cloud-based technologies that can generate high added value in various different fields. A special session will be dedicated to the combination and personalization of cultural contents, so facilitating communication, information and promotion in real-time; the use of mobiles and applications with cultural content in order to enhance the value of culture and tourism-related products and resources, which will become the perfect showcase for cultural sites and monuments.
The meeting will also analyse tools for monitoring the Internet and social networks in order to maintain an image and appraise the brand of companies and services from the culture sector on the basis of commentaries on digital social media sites such as Twitter, Foursquare, Facebook, Pinterest, etc.