Programmable service platforms for converged voice/data services

Telecommunications service providers are seeking to provide seamless conver ged voice/data services across packet networks for their subscribers, who w ill be using endpoints of diverse capabilities. They will distinguish thems elves from their competitors by offering unique, well-integrated, easy-to-u se advanced services. This paper describes the architecture for programmabl e service platforms targeted for Lucent Technologies' 7R/E(TM) Packet Solut ions, which supports converged voice/data services and application programm ing interfaces (APIs) to allow service providers to integrate third-party s ervices into the platforms. The softswitch programmable feature server (SPF S) will integrate the services into meaningful offerings for subscribers in volved in telecommunications sessions. The multimedia resource server (MMRS ) will provide a programmable interface on a bearer resource server. We des cribe the interactions of the SPFS with the MMRS, use service scenarios to illustrate how multimedia services may be deployed on the platforms, and ex plore the impact on programmability of services due to operations, administ ration, maintenance, and provisioning (OAM&P) integration.