Some Criteria To Decide The Suitability Of Ain For Introduction Of New Services

Abstract

Intelligent Network is an architectural concept which provides a functional approach to a network implementation, independently of the underlying infrastructure. Nevertheless, such infrastructure is subject to technological evolution, and one may consider taking benefit of new network facilities in order to implement a new service (e.g. ATM broadband network features, interactive TV). Hence whenever a new service or feature is introduced, the question arises again: does that new service or service feature have to be either implemented by means of an IN architecture, or introduced as an improvement of the underlying network and/or switch-based capabilities? In Some criteria, related to functions available in an Intelligent Network architecture, can be found to help answer such a question from the service designer point of view. - Does the service need triggering points during the Call Processing (trigger function within SSF)? - Does the service need sophisticated switching functions that require SSF be commanded by SCF? - Does the service present a complex logic that justifies externalisation in the SCF? - Do the service data, whether due to their complexity or for consistency purposes, need to be structured in database as permitted by the SDF? - Does the service execution need external resources (access to other networks, specialised device ... ) as permitted by the SRF? - Does the service present special interworking requirements regarding a set of homogenous and consistent integrated services? The consequences of answering these questions are not so trivial: in fact, it helps to draw the border between what is considered as a service feature (a so-called value-added feature of the network) which is to be, sooner or later, independent from the network infrastructure, and what is considered as a core characteristic of the underlying network itself (so-callcd the transport network) which must be incorporated to the network infrastructure, hence evolving together with such infrastructure. Such a border can be used to delimit the network operator's domain and the service provider's domain.