An agile server for cross-provider service peering and aggregation

Telecommunications and next-generation network IP-based services can be increasingly delivered at network edges and in peered third-party networks. As a result, subscribers bypass operators' services in favor of alternative novel services; accordingly, potential revenue is lost. By bundling existing viable network-based services across providers, however, service providers can create new revenues and avoid further erosion of their market share. Recent business announcements attest to this growing trend, but thus far cross-provider solutions take the form of point-to-point customized integrations. In the emerging service delivery paradigm, providers must be able to interwork fluidly with partners already operating profitable services, and do so without going through the risky and costly service development cycle, and without the need for extensive customized software development. In this article we outline an intelligent-agent-based service peering and aggregation server whose deployment on service provider networks enables such interworking.