Design and implementation of a broadband intelligent peripheral

Intelligent Networks (IN) is a revolutionary concept in telecommunications and many network operators and researchers have already invested a great deal of money and effort towards this trend. IN promises to augment the existing networks with the appropriate intelligence which will enable them to build, test, manage, maintain, change, dispose and withdraw services easily, rapidly and cost-effectively. Consequently, the increasing and changing demands of the customers are fulfilled in shorter periods of time, and moreover, IN provides a user customisation environment allowing the customers to specify their own services. One of the key elements for the success of the integration of IN into Broadband Networks, called B-IN, is the Broadband Intelligent Peripheral (B-IP) which is considered as an intermediate unit facilitating the communication of a non-IN-aware Broadband terminal with the Broadband Intelligent Network. A generic architecture of a B-IP as well as a particular implementation are the main considerations of this paper. The paper investigates the integration of the B-IP with other emerging and well-established technologies, such as mobile agents and the Internet.