An emerging paradigm or just another trajectory? Understanding the nature of technological changes using engineering heuristics in the telecommunications switching industry

The theoretical literature on technological changes distinguishes between paradigmatic changes and changes in trajectories. Recently several scholars have performed empirical studies on the way technological trajectories evolve in specific industries, often by predominantly looking at the artifacts. Much less - if any - empirical work has been done on paradigmatic changes, even though these have a much more profound impact on today's industry. It follows from the theory that such studies would need to focus more on the knowledge level than on the artifact level, raising questions on how to operationalize such phenomena. This study aims to fill this gap by applying network-based methodologies to knowledge networks, represented here by patents and patent citations. The rich technological history of telecommunications switches shows how engineers in the post-war period were confronted with huge challenges to meet drastically changing demands. This historical background is a starting point for an in-depth analysis of patents, in search of information about technological direction, technical bottlenecks, and engineering heuristics. We aim to identify when such changes took place over the seven different generations of technological advances this industry has seen. In this way we can easily recognize genuine paradigmatic changes compared to more regular changes in trajectory.technological trajectories; patents; network analysis; telecommunication manufacturing industry

Multi-protocol correlation : data record analyses and correlator design

This thesis has two main goals. The first one is to design a user configurable multiprotocol correlator and implement a prototype of said design. The second goal is to identify and propose a method to match different data records from different protocols. In essence, this thesis is about correlation of records which contain information about protocols or services that are generally used in telecommunication networks. In order to reach the two main goals of this thesis, we need to combine our knowledge from the programming world with our knowledge from the networking world. Correlation can be done on multiple levels; you can correlate protocol messages, and you can correlate whole calls or transactions which allows you to perform correlation across sections of a network. We approach this problem by gathering protocol signaling data, specifications on how the protocols work, and log files with examples. With this knowledge we were able to identify many of the problem areas related to correlation of the main protocols to be used in this thesis. We designed a configurable correlator that could be configured to overcome the problem areas related to correlation provided enough data was given. The prototype correlator was tested both on correctness and performance. Then, in order to validate the correctness and preciseness of our developed prototype correlator, we compare the correlation results obtained from our tool with the results obtained using Utel System ´s STINGA NGN Monitor. The comparison shows that the correlation results from our prototype correlator are satisfactor

Logic programming for real-time control of telecommunication switching systems

AbstractAn experiment using logic programming in the specification and implementation of a telecommunication switching system is reported, and one of the main modules in the system, a telephone-line controller, is described in detail as an illustrative example. The system is described in terms of transition relations in a labeled transition system. The programming language used is a variant of the parallel logic language PARLOG augmented with annotations to express timing constraints. The operational model of PARLOG is modified to handle time by allowing each goal-reduction process in a query to maintain its own logical clock, which can be read and set by the goal-reduction process itself. A metainterpreter is given to describe the operational behavior and an implementation scheme for the language

A Multi-channel Application Framework for Customer Care Service Using Best-First Search Technique

It has become imperative to find a solution to the dissatisfaction in response by mobile service providers when interacting with their customer care centres. Problems faced with Human to Human Interaction (H2H) between customer care centres and their customers include delayed response time, inconsistent solutions to questions or enquires and lack of dedicated access channels for interaction with customer care centres in some cases. This paper presents a framework and development techniques for a multi-channel application providing Human to System (H2S) interaction for customer care centre of a mobile telecommunication provider. The proposed solution is called Interactive Customer Service Agent (ICSA). Based on single-authoring, it will provide three media of interaction with the customer care centre of a mobile telecommunication operator: voice, phone and web browsing. A mathematical search technique called Best-First Search to generate accurate results in a search environmen

Softswitch Design and Performance Analysis

The increasing number of subscribers’ demands in telecommunication sector has motivated the operators to provide high quality of service in cost effective way. Moreover, operators need to have an open structure system so that they can move their systems to the next generation network architecture. For this purpose, Softswitch is an appropriate technology because it is a safe and cost efficient solution and though it can migrate from traditional circuit-switching based telephone system to internet protocol packet-switching based networking. Softswitch network divides the logical switch into several parts with different functions such as signaling gateway, media gateway, media server, etc. Standard communication protocols are implemented between those parts. Softswitch is software-based system to make connection between devices, and moreover to control voice calls, data and routes calls through different entities of the networks. Softswitch supports management functions such as provisioning, fault handling and reporting, billing, operational support, etc. Softswitch suitable for all types of traffic and services so it is very demanding in the competitive world of mobile operators. In this thesis, Softswitch has been studied and analyzed in details. Softswitch network consisted of different integrated modules such as transportation, calling and signaling, service application and management. Each module provides different services such as call control, routing, billing and network management. Each module is discussed from functional and service point of views. Softswitch based wireless network architecture as well as variety of service solutions is presented. Different protocol interfaces in softswitch network such as signaling system number 7 are explained. Moreover, bearer calls, independent call control protocol, gateway control protocol, IP bearer control protocol are explained as well. Variety of softswitch network architectures analysis has been done based on their performance and the applicability. Three Softswitch network architectures are proposed which are validated through simulations.fi=Opinnäytetyö kokotekstinä PDF-muodossa.|en=Thesis fulltext in PDF format.|sv=Lärdomsprov tillgängligt som fulltext i PDF-format

Towards Useful Overall Network Teletraffic Definitions

A detailed conceptual and a corresponding analytical traffic models of an overall (virtual) circuit switching telecommunication system are used. The models are relatively close to real-life communication systems with homogeneous terminals. In addition to Normalized and Pie-Models Ensue Model and Denial Traffic concept are proposed, as a parts of a technique for presentation and analysis of overall network traffic models functional structure; The ITU-T definitions for: fully routed, successful and effective attempts, and effective traffic are re-formulated. Definitions for fully routed traffic and successful traffic are proposed, because they are absent in the ITU-T recommendations; A definition of demand traffic (absent in ITU-T Recommendations) is proposed. For each definition are appointed: 1) the correspondent part of the conceptual model graphical presentation; 2) analytical equations, valid for mean values, in a stationary state. This allows real network traffic considered to be classified more precisely and shortly. The proposed definitions are applicable for every telecommunication system

Object-Oriented Programming and Parallelism

Initially, object-orientation and parallelism originated and developed as separate and relatively independent areas. During the last decade, however, more and more researchers were attracted by the benefits from a potential marriage of the two powerful paradigms. Numerous research projects and an increasing number of practical applications were aimed at different forms of amalgamation of parallelism with object-orientation. It has been realized that parallelism is a inherently needed enhancement for the traditional object-oriented programming (OOP) paradigm, and that object orientation can add significant flexibility to the parallel programming paradigm