1. Concluding Remarks Paolo Padovani Head, Virtual Observatory Project Office, ESO, Garching bei München, Germany & EURO-VO Facility Centre Scientist & Multi-wavelength Astronomer

2. Disclaimer
This is a personal, biased view of the Workshop, with no claim of completeness (I have done my best!)
All views expressed here are the author’s only and do not reflect the views of the EURO-VO, IVOA, ESO, etc.

3. What the VO is NOT responsible for
Producing data  data providers’ job
Data processing  data providers’ job
Data quality  data providers’ job (but needs to check metadata quality!)
Producing specific tools  tools writers’ job (but can help in porting to the VO)

4. Multi-wavelength Astronomy: VO needs
VO Science (whatever that means) is a reality
Basic VO need: easy access to all available data at all wavelengths in calibrated format!
Still work to do:
access so far only “simple” (somewhat hard to pre-select); relevant meta-data not always searchable: e.g., texp for spectral tools, observing date [mostly VO problem, but meta-data need to be there!]
still very few “science-ready” data [data providers’ problem]
yet, minimal raw data access (needed, e.g., for large [re-]processing/archival projects) [data providers’ problem]
Main message from multi-wavelength astronomers: more data in the VO!
Bright future: ASTRONET Roadmap report and questionnaire

5. there will never be a “killer” application
VO Tools and Standards
VO tools have evolved a lot in the past few years
One of the main recent developments (thanks to EURO-VO!): very easy “click of a mouse” interoperability between tools (e.g., Aladin can “send” a catalogue to TOPCAT or a spectrum to VOSpec)
Problems/still missing things:
too many/too complicated VO tools
VO searches for lists of sources, massive scaling: scripting for, e.g, cutout services or access to thousand of spectra at the same time
“quick” check on all available data (raw data access!)
standard for filter/response curve + zero point: magnitude to flux conversion  vital for Spectral Energy Distribution (SED) building!
SED “on-the-fly” from spectra and catalogues (at least!)
Table Access Protocol (soon to come: Noddle, p.c.)
top level “VO portal”
there will never be a “killer” application

6. Surveys: VO needs 1
Medium/large surveys (e.g., COSMOS) have less pressing “standard” VO needs, as all their data are local; moreover, no VO tool will ever be able to compete with their own tools
VO tools “nice to have” to maximize exploitation: e.g., to allow easy match between imaging and spectral data
Large surveys are also on the “provider” side of the VO: need tools for data publishing [available]

7. Surveys: VO needs 2
Top three needs from round table discussion:
Data coverage: was this position ever observed and, if so, is there an X- detection or not?
catalogue available: easy
reduced data available: difficult (on-the-fly Sextraction?)
raw data: extremely hard [impossible?] (on-the-fly reduction first!)
Quantitative quality information: distinction needed
metadata quality: VO should check that relevant information is provided and make an effort to check that it is correct
data quality: data providers’ task! This is NOT a VO issue but a fact of life: there are (and there have always been!) good data and bad data. We have refereed papers for that
Table Access Protocol: very important, should be done soon

8. More information on available VO tools SEDs, SEDs, SEDs!
VO near Future
VO tools should take advantage of all available metadata (if more needed, they should be included); quality control on metadata information
More information on available VO tools
SEDs, SEDs, SEDs!
Catalogues, catalogues, catalogues!
Searches for lists of sources, scaling, scripting
Raw data should be included
VO Portal, VO Portal, VO Portal!

9. (My) Vision for the (Petabyte) Future
Larger telescopes and more complex instruments (e.g., ELTs, LSST)
Data reduction will (almost) become a thing of the past for the average astronomer (see VISTA now!)
Astronomers will deal mostly with catalogues and science-ready data
All of the above better be well-described and interoperable, otherwise impossible to make sense of
Deviants will be weeded out and go extinct (do not underestimate the power of natural selection)
Same for the many tools: usage will decide which will survive
Same for astronomers: “dinosaurs” will disappear
Nobody will remember what the VO was, although everybody will be using it!

10. On behalf of the EURO-VO and of the Science and Technical Organizing Committee a big Thank you to all participants for their input and contributions