Next Generation Networks was the buzzword last year. Different people imagine different things when they think of NGN. How can this concept be defined? NGN is the application of Internet, IP and IT
solutions to Telecom Services, including (but not only) the integration and sometimes the substitution of
circuit switching with packet switching either for trunking or for access.
Surprisingly, usually people think of a mere porting of Telecom protocols over an IP network (read
H.323 protocol). Why should we reuse existing telecom solutions over an IP transport? The usual answer
is to reduce cost of ownership. Is that really true? Is that a reason enough? Indeed, the introduction of
NGN opens a huge opportunity for incumbent telecom operators: enabling the renewal in the service
offering (meaning cash!)
In this paper, we present the objectives and results of the Eurescom Project P1109”Next Generation
Networks: the service offering Standpoint”. The overall goal is to evaluate solutions for NGNs from a
service-offering standpoint and understanding the wider effects of introducing NGNs both in a fixed and
3G mobile network infrastructure, in terms of the inter-operability and functionality of next generation
network products. In particular this paper focuses on the implementation of service scenarios (i.e. call
center, VPN) on top of NGN platforms. The implementation of the service scenarios is meant to measure
the attitude of NGN service platforms to provide new services in a developer friendly way
