Pricing and brokering services over interconnected IP networks

In this paper we consider an IP-based communication platform, characterized by a novel architectural model where barrier-free business and market interactions can be performed. We assume that the network is able to deliver application services which need of network service performance guarantees. In this scenario, we present the concept of the network commodity that is traded in the marketplace among network service providers, application service providers and customers. Moreover, we use this concept to define a new usage-based tariff model. Then, we especially focus on the activity of the so-called Network Resource Brokers, which have the goal of finding the end-to-end inter-domain path to deliver an application service that maximizes the users' benefit, in terms of price and perceived service level. In this regard, we present a QoS-and-price based inter-domain routing algorithm, analyze its computational complexity, and show its effectiveness in a selected simulation scenario.