Applications for the Converged Communications World: Challenges and Emerging Technologies

摘要

Telecommunications is undergoing a revolution at the infrastructure level, including the shift to an all Internet Protocol (IP) core, increased bandwidth, and the potential for creating converged services, that is, services which blend capabilities from two or more distinct domains (e.g., voice, video, or Web). Will this lead to an explosion of new converged applications, analogous to the explosion of Web applications that have grown out of the World Wide Web? At this early stage of the transformation, can we begin to get a sense of the new kinds of applications? Is the user-generated converged application a reality or a dream? Beyond the all-IP core, what kinds of network enablers and middleware are needed to support the new generation of applications? Given the trend toward value chains based on federated services and numerous actors, what technologies will enable easy discovery and combination of service components? How can information about end user habits and content preferences be gathered and effectively used to enhance services and optimize the network? How will the new applications impact market dynamics, and how can communication service providers plan for them?