“That’s P-a-r-l-a-y not P-a-r-l-e-z!” Richard Kett BT ACE

This presentation does not imply any intention on the part of BT to implement the Parlay API or any of the functionality described within.

Parlay To use one’s talents to achieve success

Aim To make network capabilities available to 3rd party service providers To enable them to run their services on operators’ networks

Parlay Project Started March 98 5 company, cross industry group BT DGM&S Telecom Microsoft Nortel Networks Siemens Press announcements May 98 and November 98 Created a specification of an open, technology independent, secure, communication services network API

Concept The Telco World of Networks and Services

Concept API The Telco World of Networks and Services The group is promoting industry acceptance of the Parlay Application Programming Interface (API), a specification designed to enable carriers and independent software vendors to write applications to provide services across Wireless networks, Internet Protocol (IP)-based networks and the Public Switched Telephone network (PSTN). The Telco World of Networks and Services

Telco World Today Applications Service Components Physical Networks Best seen with an example….

Telco World Today 800, Personal Numbering Voice messaging... Authentication, Routing, Billing, Storage, Configuration... ISDN, PSTN, IP... For Applications read Services For components read SIBs, capabilities or features (both core and service surround) which operate over a range of networks.

Owned and Operated by the Telco Telco World Today 800, Personal Numbering Voice messaging... Authentication, Routing, Billing, Storage, Configuration... Owned and Operated by the Telco ISDN, PSTN, IP...

PARLAY API API Service Components Physical Networks The API specifies an interface to the service components that is operator network and technology independent.

PARLAY API API App 1 App 2 App 3 App n Service Components Physical Networks Opportunity to develop a vast range of new applications

Convergence API The IT World Rich in Applications The Telco World Rich in Networks

Public Network Private Network Call Distribution Application API set Voice Mail E-Mail prompts WWW Pages API set Agents Home Agents Public Network capabilities Operational Support Caller

Public Network Application Parlay API set Network Gateway capabilities Agents Network Gateway Public Network Caller capabilities Operational Support Home Agents

Perspectives Service Provider Application Developer Network Operator End Customer

Perspectives Network Operator Growth in use of the network Re-use of common service features Create the ‘value add’ intermediate market support layer Regulatory pressures and competition Network Integrity Security Charging & Billing QoS Integrity - FI problem for operator if network is threatened Security against attack and fraud - Firewall - Mediated Gateway Concepts Billing models - transactional - feature driven - add x% onto call minutes QoS - how to formulate, measure and honour SLAs

Perspectives Service Provider Time to market. Applications can treat networks based upon different technologies in a similar manner. Services can be offered on and across networks of different kinds (application portability) Service Interworking

Perspectives Application Developer Whole range of new business opportunities. Opens up communications service opportunities/possibilities to the majority of software developers. Opportunities that were - not previously technically feasible - not previously financially feasible Requirements for higher level API - “plug and play” would be nice - SDKs and Frameworks to improve - speed and ease - robustness of application code

Perspectives End Customer Services integrated with all other software solutions to jointly solve the customer’s real personal and business problems. Massive market growth in new applications/ services Enterprise software

API Characteristics Object Oriented (OO) Network & technology independent Extensible Secure Discovery Managed API specified in both CORBA and MS IDL (DCOM) Inheritance of the interfaces supports specialisation of generic services (GCCS -> INAP-1 Call). Framework provides authentication for secure access Discovery to locate the service that you wish to manipulate Service Management Integrity Management (e.g. network faults, connection failures) OAM Operations, Administration and Maintenance. (e.g. interface is used to allow the application to synchronise with the system time).

The Parlay API working group

Phase 2 June 15th, 1999 Parlay Group announces new members Parlay Phase 2 underway - mobility - conferencing - discovery and security v1.1 released, v1.2 Sep’99, v2 Dec’99

Summary Parlay describes a network API that would open up network capabilities to 3rd parties. Parlay changes the business model (separates the network operator from the service provider) Raises many commercial and technical issues: integrity, security,charging, fraud, QoS & service interworking.

Questions ?