Topics in network and service management [Series Editorial]

This is the eighth issue of the series on Network and Service Management that is published twice a year, typically in April and October. This issue, however, is being published in July, having been delayed by three months for logistical reasons, and the next issue will be published in November. The series provides articles on the latest developments in this well established discipline, highlighting recent research achievements and providing insight into both theoretical and practical issues related to the evolution of the discipline from different perspectives. The series provides a forum for the publication of both academic and industrial research, addressing the state of the art, theory, and practice in network and service management.