A policy-based approach to personalization of communication over converged networks

In this study, "personalization" represents the possibility for a user to filter incoming communication requests, and to process them according to personal preferences and lifestyle. This paper describes a policy-based approach to personalization. The basic idea is to use a generalized user-oriented policy concept, at a higher level of abstraction than policies in networking. User-oriented policies define how communication should be handled by software architecture, according to a user-oriented perception of services, and abstracting from heterogeneity like difference in networks, communication protocols, applications, and devices/terminals. Due to the high-level policy-based approach we used, we may apply personalization also to advanced scenarios like services over converged networks: in our approach, policies represent personalization in an abstract way, and network and service technologies are transparently integrated in a component-based software architecture to which personalized communication is delegated. Our policy-based approach also shows how policies can be profitably applied in a context different from networking.