Harmonised Internet and PSTN service provisioning

The current situation of telecommunications is characterised by the presence of multiple networks, each providing its own services. The original idea of a fully integrated network, which was originally introduced with ISDN and further propelled by the B-ISDN concept, seems unlikely to be realised at a complete extent. However, unification needs between different networks are present, an example being voice/data integration. Bringing together the characteristics of different networks creates a huge potential for new services, which can take advantage of strong points of individual networks in order to optimise specific service parameters. However, although network integration at transport technologies may be an idealistic assumption, the management of services traversing different networks cannot be done without considering the accurate definition of a unified service framework, taking care of harmonising, from a service designer's viewpoint, differences existing at network transport layers. In other words, if transport integration cannot be achieved, integration at service design and service management level must be pursued in order to cope with emerging and future services. Mobile Agent Technology (MAT) based on Distributed Object Technology (DOT) represents a key issue in defining methodologies and framework for a unified service environment encompassing different networks. These technologies, being largely independent from the underlying network, provide the means to build and manage services in a heterogeneous environment. Furthermore, they allow an easy deployment of new components on network systems, which is a key requirement in facing the problem of providing services in a fast and efficient way in a rapidly changing environment. This paper discusses a DOT/MAT based approach to the problem of creating and managing services in a heterogeneous network environment.