IP Convergence in Global Telecommunications New Approaches to Network Management and Service Provision

摘要

This report overviews current and emerging approaches to network management and service provision in both voice and IP data public carrier networks. These two functions are described for the traditional infrastructure, where voice and data networks are separated, and when these networks are interconnected; the latter being an emerging trend. The report first describes how network management and service provision are accomplished in traditional voice and IP data networks, presenting typical architectures and protocols. However, a new trend is emerging of joining separated voice and data public networks belonging to a single carrier into an mtegrated telecommunications infrastructure to provide highly innovative product packages. The second part of the report provides an overview of some better-known new approaches to network management and service provision, which aim at coping with the complexity of joint voice/data infrastructures and providing mechanisms for rapid deployment of new services.