Next-generation network services is a jargon term with no specific meaning. The term is used, in some telecommunication communities, in a loose way to refer to services that have not traditionally been provided by telecommunication operators circuit switched networks. Services include

VoIP Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), also called IP telephony, is a method and group of technologies for the delivery of voice communications and multimedia sessions over Internet Protocol (IP) networks, such as the Internet. The terms Internet t ...

IPTV Internet Protocol television (IPTV) is the delivery of television content over Internet Protocol (IP) networks. This is in contrast to delivery through traditional terrestrial, satellite, and cable television formats. Unlike downloaded media, ...

, presence-based applications,

instant messaging Instant messaging (IM) technology is a type of online chat allowing real-time text transmission over the Internet or another computer network. Messages are typically transmitted between two or more parties, when each user inputs text and trigge ...

and

location-based service A location-based service (LBS) is a general term denoting software services which use geographic data and information to provide services or information to users. LBS can be used in a variety of contexts, such as health, indoor object search, ent ...

s. All of these example services are deployed and used on the

Internet The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...

or private IP networks and access is available to them from traditional circuit switched networks.

Standards bodies and industry support forums

Various industry forums have emerged to promote as well as standardize the evolving services of next generation networks. These new network services leverage a common IMS core for a horizontal signaling layer. *

Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions The Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) is a standards organization that develops technical and operational standards and solutions for the ICT industry, headquartered in Washington, D.C. The organization is accredited by the ...

(ATIS)
IPTV Interoperability Forum
(IIF) * Multiservice Forum (MSF)
IMS/NGN Forum
*

SIP Forum The SIP Forum is a nonprofit organization devoted to advancing the adoption of the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), a signaling protocol for use in initiating, modifying, and terminating an interactive session among two or more users that involve ...

These forums generally host interoperability events in which multiple vendors show that services based on standards promoted by the forums can actually be deployed. They also publish specifications and interoperability agreements in parallel with standards bodies.

Interoperability events

* IMS Foru
Plugfests
*

's
SIPit
SIP interoperability testing events * MultiService Forum's biennia
Global MSF Interoperatbility (GMI)

References

{{reflist Networks