In face of changing telecommunication business models, the technological progress in information technologies and the convergence of networks the notion of open network Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) represent the next generation of the Intelligent Network concept. These Open Network APIs define generic communication functions for rapid service development while providing abstraction from the details of specific network technologies. Thus they enable fixed and mobile network operators to provide in a secure way network capabilities to third party application developers. Today the joint API specifications of the Parlay group, 3GPP Open Service Access (OSA) and the Java APIs for Integrated Networks (JAIN) represent the state of the art in this domain
What is Parlay?
The objective of Parlay/OSA is to provide an API that is independent of the underlying networking technology and of the programming technology used to create new services. As a result the Parlay/OSA APIs are specified in UML. There are then a set of realizations, or mappings, for specific programming environments:
- CORBA/IDL
- Java
- WebService(WSDL)
The role of the Parlay/OSA Framework is to provide a way for the network to authenticate applications using the Parlay/OSA API. The Framework also allows applications to discover the capabilities of the network, and provides management functions for handling fault and overload situations.
The Parlay service APIs, are how application make telephone calls, or query the location of a person (or terminal) or charge for the download of a ringtone.
The Parlay/OSA specifications define an API, they do not say how the API is to be implemented.
The typical Parlay/OSA implementation adds a new network element - the Parlay/OSA Gateway. The Gateway implements the Framework. It may implement the individual service APIs, or may interact with other network elements such as switches to provide individual service capabilities such as call control or location. Some vendors treat the Parlay/OSA Gateway as a stand-alone network element (e.g., the Ericsson NRG, AePONA Causeway, HERIT Parlay/Parlay X Gateway), others include this function in an IN Service Control Point (e.g., the Telcordia OSP).
Please visit http://www.parlay.org/ for more Details.
 Contribution: Ashish Chandrashekhar
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