Multiservice Switching Forum plans 2002 interoperability tests

The Multiservice Switching Forum (MSF) recently held its year-end meeting in Osaka, Japan, marking the first time that the Forum has met in Asia. During the working meeting, representatives from major global carrier and vendor companies made progress on MSF's technical work and developed roadmaps for the Forum's efforts in 2002.

The MSF's Physical Architecture Scenario Task Force selected five scenarios to be employed during end-to-end network interoperability testing planned for 2002. The scenarios, which are capable of supporting voice and data service over IP, ATM, and TDM networks, were approved by the general membership during the meeting. The consensus for specific scenarios allows the MSF to solidify plans for interoperability testing in the year 2002.

The MSF continues to outline its technical framework for multiple technologies and vision for large complex networks through implementation agreements (IAs) and architectural framework documents (AFDs). During the meeting, the forum defined a number of AFDs covering the implementation of IP, MPLS, and mobility services within the MSF framework architecture. The AFDs will move to straw ballot and adoption by the MSF in early 2002.

In addition, IAs tackling specific protocols (H.248, SIP, SIP-T, BICC, etc) and the relationship between SIP and SIP-T continue to progress within the MSF.

The Multiservice Switching Forum (MSF) is a global association of service providers and system suppliers committed to developing and promoting open-architecture, multiservice switching systems. Founded in 1998, the MSF is an open-membership organization. The MSF's activities include developing implementation agreements, promoting worldwide compatibility and interoperability, and encouraging input to appropriate national and international standards bodies. For more information about the MSF and its members, visit the MSF web site at

www.msforum.org.