EURESCOM P817

In today's dynamic and highly competitive environment, telecommunication companies (telcos) increasingly see data as a key asset. Telcos have to deal with large volumes of data and require high levels of performance, reliability, and security, which places exacting requirements on the data management systems they deploy. The introduction of a wide range of new telecommunication services, based Internet use, mobility, multimedia and intelligent networks, will further increase these demands.

The P817 project examines the reasons for the increasing role and importance of data management for telcos. The technical requirements for data management technology in telcos are considered, using a specific application area, call-detail records, to illustrate these requirements.

The deployment of data management technology in telcos is complex and often greatly underestimated. By their nature, data management systems are among the most complex software systems, and it is a major task to deploy and manage them effectively. Significant resources and investments must be dedicated to the design, installation, mantenance, and further development of robust and flexible data management solutions. A key factor is a new generation of component-based data management solutions that can be incorporated seamlessly into current and future telecommunication systems.

The P817 project (January 1998 - December 1999) includes participants from KPN Research in the Netherlands (project leader), Telia Research AB in Sweden, Deutsche Telekom Berkom GmbH in Germany, Tele Danmark A/S in Denmark, Telefònica I+D in Spain, BT Laboratories in the United Kingdom, and Portugal Telecom SA in Portugal. The project receives EUR 1,000,000 from EURESCOM, the European institute for collaborative research and strategic studies in all areas of telecommunications. Currently, 24 operators from 23 European countries participate in EURESCOM. M. Böhlen (scientist-in-charge) and Li Chen from the database group participated as a sub-contractor to TeleDanmark with a budget of EUR 96,000.