Competition for the IN service provider

As global IN standards (CS-1R, CS-2, and AIN 0.2) become more the norm rather than a differentiating factor, it is evident that increasing competition will develop between many different types of service providers, be it a national PTT, multinational corporate conglomerates, local/long distance new entrant, or a private network supplier to large businesses. Competition impacts the way we do business. It can force corporate downsizing, lead to improved quality and new innovative services, and ultimately leads to leaner and meaner structured units. The end result is a better product overall: improved services and reduced rates passed on to the end user. The opening up of a network to a wide variety of service providers creates many challenges as well as opportunities. Some key results of IN competition lie within mediated access and unbundling. Creating an open network with an unbiased access for all service suppliers is the duty of the IN equipment vendor. The creation and marketing of new service concepts is the task of the service provider