Telecom operators and Internet service providers
are heading for a new shift in communications
paradigms. The forthcoming convergence
of cellular and wireless data networks is often
manifested in an “all IP approach” in which all
communications are based on an end-to-end IP
protocol framework. The approach to network
design becomes user and service-centered, so
that continuous reachability of mobile users and
sustained communication capabilities are default
requirements for a prospective architecture. In
this article, we describe a network architecture
which is able to provide seamless communication
mobility, triggered either by the user or by the
network, across multiple technologies. The architecture
allows for media independent handovers
and supports optimized mobility and resource
management functions. The main focus of the
article is on major technical highlights of mobility
and quality-of-service (QoS) management subsystems
for converged networks.Publicad
