Service creation for next-generation networks

,The ability to more easily create and deploy new services is a major driver for movement toward next-generation converged communication networks. There are many approaches to provide this ability, each suited to different kinds of services, customers, and network operators. This paper presents a framework for service creation that organizes service creation methods. It can be used to help select the most appropriate enabling products and technologies. We define a set of domains of services and show how different methods of service creation apply to each of these domains. We show how the various methods of service creation differ in the ways they define the service, distribute the definition to network elements, interpret or execute the definition, and perform the functions that embody the service. We also explore how networks can expose application programming interfaces, protocol interfaces, and user interfaces to allow third parties to create services. (C) 2002 Lucent Technologies Inc.