IP and telecommunication integration: de jure and de facto standards have entered a new era

The remarkable growth of the Internet draws the attention of de jure and de facto standardization organizations which used to have few activities on IP technology. This article provides the new trends in standards/specifications of such organizations-including ITU-T, ATM-F, DAVIC, TIPHON, and others-on IP-related technologies. These organizations primarily focus on IP and telecommunication integration. IP technology itself is still the main focus of the IETF. The harmonized approach of these organizations is indispensable.