Enables Agile Service Creation to Speed Launch of New Services
October 21, 2010, Washington, DC – The Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) today announced that its Service Oriented Networks (SON) Forum has completed its Service Enabler Characterization Technical Report (ATIS – 0200001) and accompanying XML document.
Service Enablers’ (SE) are software components which provide a function – or a closely related set of functions – over defined interfaces to other software applications. These secondary software applications then leverage the SE’s provided functions. SE’s allow application developers to simply and easily modify existing applications. SEs’ “reuse” capability allows for greater flexibility in new product creation, simplifies existing product customization, and streamlines most product development lifecycles. Ultimately, this “reuse” – a principle next generation network attribute – allows SEs to facilitate agile service creation and accelerates the launch of new products.
The Technical Report provides a standardized method for communicating the functional relationships between SEs and their associated interfaces. The accompanying XML document – an interactive characteristics-set – facilitates that work. This formal XML framework allows for easy assessment of a SE’s suitability to specific situations, and supports SEs’ implementation and reuse. Service Providers populate the XML form with service enabler details and make the form available to potential users. The XML form includes implementation details such as: capacity, reliability, and redundancy in a standardized, machine-readable format.
ATIS’ SE work addresses timely industry priorities, and has been positively received by numerous industry forums and standards development groups.
“This Technical Report affords Web 2.0 companies the opportunity to communicate non-functional attributes of service enablers using a standards-based format,” said Andrew White, Nokia Siemens Networks’ Principal Consultant and SON Forum Chair. “The SON Forum’s ultimate goal is to reduce the amount of integration necessary to facilitate diverse end-user services in a multifaceted, intricate NGN environment. This Technical Report is the first step in that process.”
“Service enablers are playing an increasingly important role across the ICT space, as myriad, complex NGNs are deployed” said Susan Miller, ATIS’ President and CEO. “This Technical Report and XML framework provides a solid foundation for service enablers’ continued evolution, and will play a vital role in ensuring their widespread and successful implementation.”
This document is available at http://engineers.ihs.com/.
About The Service Oriented Networks Forum
The SON Forum is addressing work to enable the interoperability and implementation of Service Oriented Network (SON) applications and services by developing standards, providing coordination for the development of standards and practices, and facilitating related technical activities. This forum is placing an emphasis on telecommunications industry needs in collaboration with regional and international standards development programs in the telecommunications, IT and Web industries.
About ATIS
ATIS is the leading technical planning and standards development organization committed to the rapid development of global, market-driven standards for the information, entertainment and communications industry. More than 250 companies actively formulate standards in ATIS’ 18 Committees, covering issues including: IPTV, Service Oriented Networks, Home Networking, Energy Efficiency, IP-Based and Wireless Technologies, Quality of Service, Billing and Operational Support. In addition, numerous Incubators, Focus and Exploratory Groups address emerging industry priorities including “Green”, IP Downloadable Security, Next Generation Carrier Interconnect, IPv6 and Convergence.
ATIS is the North American Organizational Partner for the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), a member and major U.S. contributor to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Radio and Telecommunications’ Sectors, and a member of the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL). For more information, please visit www.atis.org.
