ITU Workshop on IP Networking and Mediacom 2004
Joint Session 1 – Multimedia service evolution
Services
– a perspective on building applications
Richard Swale
ETSI TIPHON Wg1 chair
VoIP Technologist
BTexaCT
Agenda
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Evolution of IP services beyond voice
The heterogeneous network environment
Some views on how services are developed
Services and Service Capabilities
Conclusions
Beyond Voice over IP
• IP
– Emerged as the de facto network convergence layer of choice;
its on the desktop.
– Can support a wide range of applications including real-time but
at present this is largely only “best effort” real-time
– Provides an opportunity to look at public network services
afresh.
• Voice over IP
– A term which describes a wide range of technical solutions.
– Available at varying levels of maturity.
– Is not a service!
• BUT
– IP is largely “media neutral” and can support video as well as
voice applications. [QoS is an issue though!]
Evolution and Revolution
• New services are being targeted on IP
– 3GPP release 5+
– BUT mass market customers buy applications they don’t buy
technology
• Existing services migrating to IP based platforms
– IPCableCom
• Existing platforms are unlikely to be replaced overnight
– Performance, reliability, availability, integrity, security, accounting
are all issues in the IP space.
– A heterogeneous public network infrastructure is likely to exist for
some time to come.
– Best efforts IP networks may be complemented by QoS capable
IP networks which also provide best effort services.
The heterogeneous network environment
Possible point of
interest for interworking and interconnect
Apps
Fixed IP NW
IP Network
IP Network
3G
GW
3G
2G
2G
Views on current service development
• The Switched Circuit world
– Network features are standardised as “services”.
• “Service descriptions” are mapped onto a specific network
technology (e.g. ISDN, GSM etc.) and specified by
standards bodies.
• This takes a long time and is never complete due needing
to address feature interaction, an absence of regression
compliance.
– OR
• Edge of network platforms are created to combine network
based functions into new customised applications.
• IN network features are used to create new applications.
• In both cases the network features constrain what can be
achieved.
Views on current service development
• The IP network world
– Network features are enabled though standardised
“protocols”.
• “Services” in IP networks are really network functions.
• Applications are built using any number of protocols
integrated together outside of the specification development
process.
• Process is highly dynamic and specific protocols emerge
and fade.
Services and Applications
• Focus on reusable components and flexible
construction to fuel innovation rather than
procedural bit-wise definition of services.
Service
Service Application
Service Capability
Service Capability
Service Capability
User
Capabi lity
Netw ork
Capabi lity
Commercial Context
Application Construction
A design-time view...
Service Applications
Service
Application
Layer
Registration
Capability
Service
Abstraction
Layer
Service Capabilities
Routing
Capability
• More information:
– http://docbox.etsi.org/tech-org/tiphon/Document/tiphon/07-drafts/wg1/DTR01008/
Connection
Control
Capability
Conclusions
• Key issues to consider
– Enabling innovation in a controlled manner such that
accepted social practises (e.g. privacy etc.) are
preserved.
• Opportunities
– Enabling new network technologies to be adopted.
– Enabling innovation in network services.
• Challenges
– How to address the key issues such that the
opportunities can be realised.