Service creation in multimedia IP networks

Next-generation service providers need to respond to the market demand for rapid, simple and customisable services. Clients are asking for tools to so lve their e-business and m-commerce problems. Therefore, there is an import ant need for a robust and complete service environment to enable service cr eation adapted to the end-user, regardless of the network infrastructure to carry the service. On the other hand, in the multimedia-over-IP world, we can see how vendors in the telecommunications industry are now beginning to embrace the power of session initiation protocol (SIP) en masse. Having id entified the market needs and future potential of SIP, BT Tel and BTexact T echnologies are running complementary trials using SIP as call control prot ocol, and looking at integrating service creation environments on top of it to develop applications in multimedia-over-IP environments. The aim of thi s article is to take a step forward and describe the programming tools and technologies that SIP-based applications will be defined and deployed with. The full integration of these development methods, and the flexibility and applicability of each technique for the different service creation communi ties, are addressed.