Global Intelligent Networks

Abstract

Intelligent networks (INs) in countries outside the United States have evolved to perform services similar to those available in the United States.^* The topologies can be slightly different and tailored to the peculiarities of the Central Offices and the distribution of a country’s customer base. Generally, the introduction of new services is sufficiently expensive and individualized to warrant a thorough cost comparison of various implementations. The decision to implement a particular service is driven by local business and economic considerations in light of the projected income from the new service(s). Several implementations from European and Japanese environments that illustrate the varying architectures of other INs are presented.

The authors wish to thank Dr. Vasant Ramakumar for providing the details of some of the European INs. Dr. Ramakumar’s 1991 Ph.D. dissertation at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York is the chief source of reference for the European INs. The material was compiled during Dr. Ramakumar’s research at AT&T Bell Laboratories, Holmdel, New Jersey.