Moving To An NGN Platform

Next Generation Networks (NGN) provide the end-user with a more complete set of applications, generating a network platform, which permits for the fast formulation of new services without requiring to introduce new infrastructure. Noticeable improvement has been attained in standardizing architecture of NGN and implementation of protocol in a number of dissimilar standards bodies. This has lead to substantial progress of business network security.

However, considerable progress has not been witnessed in the generation of standardized open APIs so that the community of developers creates advanced applications for the NGN platform. The importance of APIs is paramount. Standards bodies require finding a solution to the key issues related with open APIs in order to set up a fluent working environment for the NGN platform. NGN platform can be crucial to the network management system. Therefore, you have to resolve all issues as soon as possible.

NGN at the core implies an assembly of a number of (overlay or dedicated) transport networks each historically developed with a different service in mind into a single core transport network (often centered on Ethernet and IP). Amongst other things, it implies the emigration of voice from a switched architecture (PSTN) to VoIP as well as emigration of legacy services like Frame Relay, X.25 (either commercial emigration of the customer to a new service such as IP VPN, or technical migration by emulating the "legacy service" present in the NGN).

With a NGN platform end-users will be delivered much more than fundamental telecom services; business IP telephony, information and entertainment services, comprising IPTV, are all looked at by major telecom companies as significant applications, which can fuel revenue growth. For the enterprise user, the telecom companies intend to utilize the NGN as a basis for exerting huge pressure on the ICT outsourcing space aiming at earning better profits.

NGN provides a clearer partition between the services and the transport (connectivity) part in the network, which execute above that transport. This implies that at any time a provider desires to activate a fresh service, it can be done at the service layer itself without taking into account the transport layer - i.e. services do not depend on transport details. Applications comprising voice will be inclined to be free more and more from the access network (de-layering of applications and network) and will be included increasingly in end-user equipments (Set-top box, phone, PC).

However, the strategic change being planned to make, has some dangers associated with it. The industry of telecom is transferring from a high-profit and low-risk business model, prior to the introduction of deregulation and IP to a low-profit and high-risk model. But, to continue as a network carrier in the traditional manner with the possibility of ever-dwindling revenue is, understandably, not perceived as a choice by major telecom companies.

More and more companies are incorporating NGN networks across the world. In the UK a popular NGN was put into practice by BT (British Telecom) known as 21CN (21st Century Networks) and this resulted in noticeable betterment of business network security. In Bulgaria, BTC (Bulgarian Telecommunications Company) introduced the NGN in a big project as an underlying network of its Telco services in 2004. So, it is an unmistakable fact that the companies across the world are moving to an NGN platform. With the fixed telephone service moving to IP and mobile, business and network transformation is the only option to redeem themselves for telecom companies.

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