Open API standardization for the NGN platform - [ITU-T kaleidoscope]

Next-generation networks promise to provide a richer set of applications for the end user, creating a network platform that enables the rapid creation of new services. Significant progress has been made in the standardization of NGN architecture and protocols, but little progress has been made on open APIs. This article outlines the importance of open APIs and the current achievements of the standards bodies. It concludes with a brief set of issues that standards bodies must resolve in relation to these APIs.