Networked Multimedia Services

Project:Networked Multimedia Services
Programme: Actionprogramme Information Technology
Funded by:IWT - Vlaams Instituut voor de Bevordering van het Wetenschappelijk-Technologisch Onderzoek in de Industrie (Flemish Institute for Promotion of Scientific-Technological Research in the Industry)
Duration: 01/06/95 - 31/05/98
Partners: Alcatel Telecom Belgium and AI Laboratory - Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)

Summary

New end-user services such as VOD, teleshopping, teleworking and edutainment are (or will soon be) introduced in present telecom networks. What is not being assessed today is the impact these services (will) have on the network architecture.
On the one hand, a service friendly network environment must encourage service consumption via a user-friendly, flexible and cost-effective access towards the services. Consider e.g. how a user will find the appropriate Content Provider. On the other hand, the network architecture must facilitate service deployment which allows content providers and service operators to introduce and exploit services in a short time-to-market. Consider e.g. how a service operator can be connected to the network.
Both will induce the need to extend existing network architecture with new service related functions and will influence the development of new multimedia networks.

A means for the Network Operator to offer this new functionality is the introduction of a so called Service Gateway (SGW). The SGW is a basic component in the Full Service network (FSN), offering a platform for and an interface to Network Operator managed services, as support for interactive multimedia services.
To enable the dialogue between a Service Subscriber and a Service Operator, several actions need to take place in the network, the terminal and the server. Moreover, given that the Service Operator and the Network Operator can be different entities, a clear interface at transport, control (both at network and at application level) and service level needs to be defined. The latter requirement has led to the introduction of an additional network element as mediator between the Network Operator, Service Operator and Service User. Given its role, this element is often called Service Gateway. The definition of the exact role of the Service Gateway is only beginning to be handled in the standardisation groups such as DAVIC (Digital Audio-Visual Council).

The major goals of the project are to provide insight in the user needs and a coherent view on the technology requirements for offering multimedia networks and services, and to deliver the necessary technology and products that will allow their deployment. One of the main achievements of the project will be the development of a Service Gateway, which will be integrated and demonstrated in a full service network.

Situation of the project

More still than for (narrowband) voice communications networks, the increasing number and diversification of services will force the Multimedia Network to allow for fast and easy development, deployment and management of both new narrowband and broadband services. In addition, service attributes that are available now for voice communications (e.g. mobility, conditional (re)routing, alternative charging), will be assumed to be offered in some way by the Multimedia Network as well.
The majority of these new services require high bandwidth and computer power to allow real-time information delivery and processing. Any network transporting multimedia services should obviously offer high bandwidth.
However, increased bandwidth is not the only improvement that is expected from a public network. Depending on their role in the offering and taking of the services, the respective players will have a large list of expectations, that may or may not be met by the system.
As such, the network operator may also become an important party involved in service operations. The best way for him to survive in the 'multimedia jungle' is to take actively part in the service offering (within the regulatory bounds), and offer a transport network together with a series of value added services to both Service Providers and individual subscribers.
The Network Operator is in a good position to offer on the one side the Service providers a unique entry point, through which they can register their services on the network. On the other side, he can offer subscribers a common access point, through which they access all registered services in a uniform way.

In line with the EU regulation, Network Operators have to grant network access to 3rd party Service Operators. Indeed, subscribers should be able to access on a fair basis a growing set of different (multimedia) services, offered by individual Service Providers, and this on a common but heterogeneous network. Such a SGW will allow initiatives, like Medianet Flanders to connect different service providers on an individual basis to multimedia network, such as Telenet Flanders.
These functions, which can be considered as an added value network service, can be integrated in a network subsystem, called Service gateway (SGW). Such a SGW will allow the network operator to maximise the use and serving area of his network, through the provisioning of 'meta-services'. It allows the Service Operators to extend their service availability to a large Subscriber community. It offers the Subscribers the possibility to access a variety of services at the lowest possible cost, on the network to which they are already connected.

Alcatel Telecom Belgium is positioning himself as a supplier of end-to-end Full Service (multimedia) Network (FSN) solutions. Serious R&D effort has been spent on the respective FSN building blocks. The Service Gateway is considered a basic building block for end-to-end service networks. The R&D effort on the SGW has to be seen within the context of the global FSN R&D effort. Because the Service Gateway is closely related to the network, it behaves as a catalyst in the sales of the networks itself with competitive advantage as a result.
The introduction of a SGW in broadband networks may require a phased approach, depending on the maturity of available terminals, Set Top Boxes (STB), servers and broadband network Call Control. A (large) number of SGW assisting modules may be required in an initial phase, to take care of all missing functionality in the surrounding environment. As the environment matures, the functions of these assisting modules may gradually shift towards the network periphery. In order to be successful in the emerging multimedia networks, it is important to develop a global view on evolution of network architectures, enabling technology and to monitor and redirect by contributions when necessary, the standardisation activities as ongoing in DAVIC and other forums.
In this context, the VUB - AI Laboratory, actively involved in research in the field of intelligent agent technology for networked multimedia applications, will inject the project with state-of-the-art Artificial Intelligence (more specifically Intelligent Agent) technology.

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