Call for Papers (pdf version )

The fixed mobile convergence of telecommunication networks along with the telecom-IP network convergence have opened up prospects for a rich ecosystem of IP-based next generation converged network technologies and applications. Emergence of principles and practices like Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) and Web 2.0, along with gradual adoption of industry standards like the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), and Java API for Internetworking (JAIN) is making this convergence possible. The challenges to the operators are to provide suitable interfaces to an increasingly complex and heterogeneous underlying wireless access landscape, typically consisting of cellular (e.g., UMTS, LTE, etc.), metropolitan area (e.g., WiMAX) and short range (e.g., WiFi) systems. Future telecom service providers, on the other hand, are expected to stem from the fact that a converged network needs to carry a multitude of high-bandwidth triple-play (voice, video and data) services over a single network that is much more distributed, multipoint, diverse, and interactive in nature. End users will interact with the network via sophisticated devices, and be able to select from a wide range of Quality-of-Service (QoS) options. To cater to these emerging service paradigms, network intelligence has to address several aspects including multimedia session management, coordination of multi-protocol connections, advanced security, etc. Multimedia content delivery over the Internet has been extensively researched. However, the related engineering problem is evolving into the problem of how to dynamically create content distribution infrastructures and services in the context of telco provider managed networks. To stay ahead in the competition and provide market leading offerings, carriers further need to enable a global ecosystem of third-party independent application developers to deliver converged services leveraging open standards-based service delivery platform. Finally, to establish a common architecture for the convergence among services and networks, standards and frameworks will be required to ensure the interoperability of networks and applications, and facilitate best utilization of the existing telecommunications infrastructure within the converged ecosystem.


It is in this setting of an open services market with service operators, application developers as well as the IT infrastructure as stakeholders, that the role of middleware is crucial. Middleware-enabled rapid development and deployment of new applications allows early introduction of value-added services to attract new customers and retain existing ones. Established telcos often have a plethora of legacy systems, such as Intelligent Networks (IN), Business / Operational Support Systems (BSS/OSS), Web-based systems and SIP/IMS-based services, which can all interoperate through open interfaces provided by the middleware layer, allowing a seamless, autonomic interaction between them. The arguments for a middleware-oriented consolidation of services in the telecommunications service provider/carrier space are also largely applicable to the enterprise segment. There are, of course, differences in requirements and service expectations for corporate users as opposed to consumers; however, the trend towards consolidation of IT and telecom architectures is just as compelling. Further, middleware approaches can offer scalability and load-balancing capabilities to critical infrastructure components. For example, the roll out of distributed / federated presence-based applications will necessitate management of huge amounts of subscriber data residing in the middleware. Finally, there are challenges of enabling guaranteed QoS and seamless access to triple-play services. In the emerging heterogeneous networking environment, cross-layer and inter-system optimization studies are essential to guarantee that these challenges are met. In this regard, large-scale distributed experimental testbeds with real or virtual components interconnected through an efficient middleware can be leveraged to validate promising approaches, algorithms and mechanisms prior to commercial deployment.


In this workshop, we seek original, unpublished papers on different aspects of middleware technologies for enabling Next-Generation Network (NGN) services and applications. Topics of submission include, but are not limited to:


SUBMISSION

Paper submissions must present original, unpublished research or experiences. Late-breaking advances and work-in-progress reports from ongoing research are also encouraged for submission to NGNM 2008. Papers under review elsewhere MUST NOT be submitted to NGNM 2008. Authors are requested to submit either long papers or short papers (work-in-progress reports), strictly in LNCS format:

Submissions exceeding the above mentioned paper size will not be reviewed and will be returned to the authors. Please see Submission for detailed instructions.


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