Open API standardisation for the NGN platform

Next Generation Networks (NGN) are meant to "enable a richer set of applications to the end-user", creating a network platform that allows for the rapid creation of new services without the need to add new infrastructure. Significant progress has been made in the standardization of NGN architecture and protocol implementation in several different standards bodies. There has, however, been a lack of progress in the development of standardized open APIs for the developer community to create innovative applications for the NGN platform. This paper outlines the importance of such APIs, what has been achieved so far in the standards bodies and a brief overview of emerging de-facto standards such as Google's OpenSocial and Android APIs. The paper concludes with a brief set of issues that standards bodies need to resolve in relation to open APIs.