19.1 The Changing Environment

Business practices and social behaviour are changing dramatically, with an increasing reliance being placed upon secure and flexible communications. These demands are being met by the evolution of the Information Age, which is being underpinned by the convergence of the telecommunications, IP, computing and broadcast/media industries. All these industries generate, store, manipulate and transfer information. The amount of data, and the demands for access to it, continue to expand rapidly.

In parallel, customers expect increasing levels of value, choice and control. They require more bandwidth for communication, they are becoming much more global in their outlook and they are demanding greater mobility. There is an increasing trend for companies to adopt more distributed working. Competition amongst operators and suppliers is intense, and many joint ventures are taking place in conjunction with a rise in the number of niche suppliers.

These trends demand ever higher levels of efficiency in the provision of communications.

19.2 Requirements

Networks are designed to provide services to customers with a high level of quality and with maximum value. Networks are built from basic components, e.g. transmission systems and switches. Signalling provides the ability to transfer control information amongst customers and networks, transforming the components into a cohesive and animated force for service provision.

There is a wide variety of signalling systems across a range of industries (telecommunications, IP, etc.). However, all industries require flexibility and evolutionary potential, and modern signalling systems share a range of principles, such as structured architecture. Convergence of...