SERVICE-CENTRIC NETWORKS

At present, competition and the latest network technologies threaten t he profit margins of telecommunications providers. New services, howev er, represent an important prospect for increased revenue. To capitali ze on this opportunity, new services must appeal to users and be capab le of rapid introduction and scaling to meet demand. Moreover, cost-ef fective service introduction requires independence from the underlying access technology. This paper discusses today's service delivery meth odology and introduces the theme of service-centric networks-the uncou pling of services from access networks. It also delineates an architec ture approach for implementing service networks and describes our expe riences with the Telecommunications Information Networking Architectur e (TINA), which employs this approach.