Impact of the intelligent network on the capacity of network elements

The effect that integration of the intelligent network (IN) concept into the existing network architecture has on the capacity of the various network elements is addressed. The effect of excessive load on that and other existing services is also examined. The discussion covers: methods of characterizing capacity and performance; major causes of increased load with the IN; perception of increased delay by the user; effect of delay on service introduction; and methods of improving IN performance. The example of the call-forwarding service is used to show the effect that IN can have on the performance of services, as perceived from the delays experienced by the user.<>