JAIN (Java API for Integrated Networks) is an activity within the Java Community Process, developing APIs for the creation of telephony (voice and data) services. (Originally the acroymn stood for "Java™ in Advanced Intelligent Networks" but the name was changed to reflect the widening scope of the project.) Technically, JAIN consists of a number of "Expert Groups", each developing a single API specification.

JAIN is part of a general trend to open up service creation in the telephony network so that, by analogy with the Internet, openness should result in a growing number of participants creating services, in turn creating more demand and better, more targeted services.

A major goal of JAIN APIs is to abstract the underlying network, so that services can be developed which are independent of the network technology, be it the traditional PSTN or the Next Generation Network .

The JAIN effort has produced around 20 APIs, in various stages of standardization, ranging from Java APIs for specific network protocols, such as SIP and TCAP , to more abstract APIs such as for call control and charging, and even including a non-Java effort for describing telephony services in XML.

There is some overlap between JAIN and the Parlay/OSA work due to them both being open network APIs, which has resulted in extensive cooperation. Whether complete harmonization is possible is still uncertain.

External link

• The JAIN APIs.

Books

• Jain, Ravi; Bakker, John-Luc; & Anjum, Farooq (2004). Programming Converged Networks: Call Control in Java, XML and Parlay/OSA, Wiley Interscience, 2004. ISBN 0471268011
• Jepsen, Thomas C.; Anjum, Farooq; Bhar, Ravi Raj; Tait, Douglas (2001). "Java in Telecommunications: Solutions for Next Generation Networks" John Wiley & Sons, 2001. ISBN 0471498262