Value added service management in 3G networks

3rd generation mobile communication networks (3G) have been heralded as a paradigm shift that will irreversibly change the structure of the telecommunications industry. In an ideal "3G world", roaming users will be offered an abundance of value-added services typically developed by independent service providers. It is commonly recognized that the plethora of business combinations and technical implementations in the emerging 3G era will substantially raise the bar on the respective management frameworks. The present contribution deals with service provision aspects in 3G network environments and particularly focuses on service deployment and management matters. We conduct a requirement analysis of the 3G service provision process and illustrate the need for an integrated service management platform. Next, we elaborate on the architectural and implementation details of a service provision management platform capable of intelligently delivering downloadable applications to 3G mobile users, as designed and developed within the frame of the EC IST project MOBIVAS. Finally, we conclude the paper by positioning our approach with regard to relevant standardization activities and laying out directions for future work.