Venturus and NGN

Next Generation Networks, or NGN, are infrastructures which offer mobility and total convergence of voice, data and video services. Among the benefits of its adoption are network operation and update cost reduction, performance improvement at the technology environment and simplified access to a variety of applications regardless of the access device, meeting the needs of most telecom and IT users.

With the advent of service convergence, telecom operators, Internet access providers and Cable-TV service providers concurred for a single network suited for the shared use of the transport infrastructure among different types of media and enabling the offer of common services independently from the user's access network.

The main goal of this integration is to achieve transport network operation and maintenance cost rationalization, as well as a cost reduction in the development, testing and deployment of new services to subscribers, since these services can be reused through a variety of access types.

Venturus Experience

Venturus brings an extensive experience in the research and development of solutions for the convergence of telecommunication networks - fixed, mobile and Internet. Venturus' experience spans from the connectivity and control layer, achieved in several years in Softswitch development projects, all the way through the service layer, including a large experience in Jain SIP programming and development of Application Servers.

NGN Architecture

The architecture of NGN networks is composed of horizontal layers dedicated to well-defined functionalities.The Transport layer enables different technology terminals with access to a common network and services infrastructure, the main element of which is the Media Gateway (MGW). The Network Control layer retains the call connection and routing logic and control functions, having the Softswitch as its main equipment. The Services and Applications layer provides the access to multiple services and contents.

The transport technology uses IP protocols, which provide flexible and low-cost data communication. Although being a packet network, the IP network used in a NGN architecture enables Quality of Service (QoS) control and broadband access.

At the control layer, session control protocols are used with SIP - Session Initiation Protocol - to control the setup of media connections at the transport layer. Other telecom protocols are employed for the interconnection with legacy networks (e.g. ISUP for the PSTN).

At the service layer, Application Servers provide the services to end users regardless of their access device.

Benefits of NGN networks

The major benefits of NGN networks are:

• Simplification of network structures through the separation of network equipment hardware and software
• Greater flexibility in the implementation of new technologies or in the improvement of existing technologies, since functionalities are separated in well defined layers
• Interfaces based on open standard protocols, allowing a broader range of products in the market
• Convergence of services and network infrastructure reducing operation and maintenance costs, as well as a lower investment in service development, since services can be reused in different access networks.