Managing QoS-Enabled "Information Transport" as any Other Service in NGN Service Platforms

Transporting information from one end to the other of the network is one of the most prominent services offered by telecommunication operators, what we term the "information transport" service. Its efficient management, considering aspects like tariffs or QoS (Quality of Service), attracts much interest and research efforts. The new "frontier" is to integrate this service in the whole service delivery chain making the different stakeholders in the telecommunication business cooperate. The IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) service platform offers solutions embracing the current trend of respecting the Internet paradigm of transport and application layers separation, yet building interfaces between both domains. But IMS approach relegates the "information transport service" to a mere resource. This bundles IMS applicability. We propose that "information transport" regains its service status. Existing service management and composition techniques could be employed resulting on increased flexibility, new business possibilities and a better end service. We show the advantages of our approach compared to existing solutions, we discuss its complexity and analyze if it is feasible in NGN (next generation networks) and whether it is worth.