Presented at ACM MNCNA 2007, November 26, 2007 (Port Beach, California)
This paper explains why it is unlikely for traditional service providers to create communications applications in the new, converged network. The ability to create applications depends on middleware available to make the task of application development tractable. This paper describes the evolution and future directions of communications middleware in light of the migration of interactive real-time communications from the time-domain multiplexed switched network to the converged Internet Protocol (IP) network. It then examines the Service Oriented Architecture and Internet-based collaboration tools. With this background, we offer a way forward for the creation of communications applications.