diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 8442580..ef2c61b 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
-	xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd">
+		 xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd">
 
 	<modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
 
@@ -19,9 +19,10 @@
 
 
 	<profiles>
-		<!-- this profile sets an additional parameter for javadoc generation that disable the doclint (it makes
-		     component build fail if formal/syntax errors are found in javadoc comments).
-		     The parameter is only understood by jdk 1.8, so we set it only when jdk 1.8 is used -->
+
+<!-- this profile sets an additional parameter for javadoc generation that disable the doclint (it makes
+	 component build fail if formal/syntax errors are found in javadoc comments).
+	 The parameter is only understood by jdk 1.8, so we set it only when jdk 1.8 is used -->
 		<profile>
 			<id>disable-java8-doclint</id>
 			<activation>
@@ -31,9 +32,112 @@
 				<javadoc.opts>-Xdoclint:none</javadoc.opts>
 			</properties>
 		</profile>
+
+
+		<profile>
+			<id>generate-distribution-packages</id>
+			<activation>
+				<property>
+					<name>generateDistribution</name>
+					<value>true</value>
+				</property>
+			</activation>
+			<build>
+				<plugins>
+					<plugin>
+						<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+						<artifactId>maven-assembly-plugin</artifactId>
+
+						<dependencies>
+							<dependency>
+								<groupId>org.gcube.tools</groupId>
+								<artifactId>shared-assemblies</artifactId>
+								<version>1.1.0</version>
+							</dependency>
+						</dependencies>
+						<executions>
+
+
+
+							<!-- Disable the execution of the legacy servicearchive. When/If a centralized
+                            generation of binary packages is implemented, this will allow to disable the
+                            execution of the plugin specified in the single pom files -->
+							<!--
+
+							<execution>
+							  <id>servicearchive</id>
+							  <configuration>
+								  	<skipAssembly>true</skipAssembly>
+								</configuration>
+								<phase>install</phase>
+								<goals>
+									<goal>single</goal>
+								</goals>
+							</execution>
+
+                            -->
+
+							<!-- generation of the source package -->
+
+							<execution>
+								<id>source-package-generation</id>
+								<configuration>
+									<descriptorRefs>
+										<descriptorRef>gcube-source-package</descriptorRef>
+									</descriptorRefs>
+
+									<!--
+                                    override the plugin-scope configuration:
+                                      <descriptors>
+                                          <descriptor>${distroDirectory}/descriptor.xml</descriptor>
+                                      </descriptors>
+
+                                    If not done, the servicearchive will be built also during
+                                    this execution.
+                                    -->
+									<descriptors combine.self="override"></descriptors>
+								</configuration>
+								<phase>install</phase>
+								<goals>
+									<goal>single</goal>
+								</goals>
+							</execution>
+
+
+							<!-- TODO: generation of the binary package. Centralized solution.  -->
+							<!--
+                                        <execution>
+                                                      <id>binary-package-generation</id>
+                                                      <configuration>
+                                                        <descriptorRefs>
+                                                          <descriptorRef>shred assembly here</descriptorRef>
+                                                        </descriptorRefs>
+
+                                              <descriptors combine.self="override"></descriptors>
+                                                      </configuration>
+                                              <phase>install</phase>
+                                                <goals>
+                                                    <goal>single</goal>
+                                                </goals>
+                                        </execution>
+                                         -->
+
+						</executions>
+
+
+					</plugin>
+				</plugins>
+			</build>
+
+
+		</profile>
+
 	</profiles>
 
 
+
+
+
 	<build>
 
 		<pluginManagement>
@@ -122,31 +226,6 @@
 						<source>${java_version}</source>
 					</configuration>
 				</plugin>
-
-				<!-- common configuration for the assembly plugin -->
-				<plugin>
-					<artifactId>maven-assembly-plugin</artifactId>
-					<version>2.6</version>
-					<dependencies>
-						<dependency>
-							<groupId>org.gcube.tools</groupId>
-							<artifactId>shared-assemblies</artifactId>
-							<version>1.0.0</version>
-						</dependency>
-					</dependencies>
-					<executions>	  
-						<!-- generation of the source package -->
-					    <execution>
-					      <id>make-source-package</id>
-					      <configuration combine.self="override">
-					        <descriptorRefs>
-					          <descriptorRef>gcube-source-package</descriptorRef>
-					        </descriptorRefs>
-					      </configuration>
-					    </execution>
-			        </executions>
-				</plugin>				
-
 			</plugins>
 		</pluginManagement>
 
@@ -180,8 +259,8 @@
 					</execution>
 				</executions>
 			</plugin>
-			
-						<plugin>
+
+			<plugin>
 				<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
 				<artifactId>maven-source-plugin</artifactId>
 				<version>2.1.2</version>
@@ -213,21 +292,21 @@
 					</execution>
 				</executions>
 			</plugin>
-			
+
 		</plugins>
 	</build>
-	
+
 	<properties>
 		<!-- default value for the distro directory -->
 		<distroDirectory>distro</distroDirectory>
-	
-		<java_version>1.7</java_version>
+
+		<java_version>1.8</java_version>
 		<project.build.sourceEncoding>UTF-8</project.build.sourceEncoding>
 		<maven.version>3.0.0</maven.version>
 		<snapshots.repository.url.deploy>http://maven.research-infrastructures.eu:8081/nexus/content/repositories/gcube-snapshots</snapshots.repository.url.deploy>
 		<local.deploy.dir>${env.GLOBUS_LOCATION}/lib</local.deploy.dir>
-		
-		
+
+
 		<!-- following properties contains common information on gCube that are used for filtering resources like README, LICENSE, ... -->
 
 		<gcube.wikiRoot>https://wiki.gcube-system.org/gcube/index.php</gcube.wikiRoot>
@@ -242,17 +321,17 @@ Infrastructures enabling the dynamic deployment of Virtual Research Environments
 by favouring the realisation of reuse oriented policies.
 		</gcube.description>
 		<gcube.funding>
-The projects leading to this software have received funding from a series of    
-European Union programmes including:                                            
-* the Sixth Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development -    
-DILIGENT (grant no. 004260);                                                    
-* the Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and   
-demonstration - D4Science (grant no. 212488), D4Science-II (grant no.           
-239019),ENVRI (grant no. 283465), EUBrazilOpenBio (grant no. 288754), iMarine   
-(grant no. 283644);                                                             
-* the H2020 research and innovation programme - BlueBRIDGE (grant no. 675680),  
-EGIEngage (grant no. 654142), ENVRIplus (grant no. 654182), Parthenos (grant 
-no. 654119), SoBigData (grant no. 654024); 
+The projects leading to this software have received funding from a series of
+European Union programmes including:
+* the Sixth Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development -
+DILIGENT (grant no. 004260);
+* the Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and
+demonstration - D4Science (grant no. 212488), D4Science-II (grant no.
+239019),ENVRI (grant no. 283465), EUBrazilOpenBio (grant no. 288754), iMarine
+(grant no. 283644);
+* the H2020 research and innovation programme - BlueBRIDGE (grant no. 675680),
+EGIEngage (grant no. 654142), ENVRIplus (grant no. 654182), Parthenos (grant
+no. 654119), SoBigData (grant no. 654024);
 		</gcube.funding>
 		<gcube.license>
 European Union Public Licence V. 1.1