A new generation of convergent network services is beginning. This guide shows you how to navigate the rapids of emerging protocols and APIs that make it possible! Innovative services that combine Internet and telecom capabilities are just starting to appear, built on a growing body of protocols and application programming interfaces (APIs) that blur the lines between voice and data networks. Unfortunately, at a time when clear information is desperately needed, the professional or manager has had only a web of complex and widely scattered standards documents to rely on."APIs and Protocols for Convergent Network Services" is the first book to provide a detailed roadmap to the intricate landscape of new and emerging convergent network protocols and APIs. Invaluable to service developers, IT applications developers, software vendors, and communication equipment vendors, "APIs and Protocols for Convergent Network Services" offers: a concise introduction to software for telecom professionals and managers unfamiliar with object technology and Java; an examination of the technology that will knit together next-generation networks - XML, distributed objects, and directories; and, a broad discussion of IP Telephony protocols.It also offers a comprehensive overview of SIP and PINT; detailed descriptions of the most important open APIs for convergent network services, including JTAPI, JAIN, and Parlay; and summaries that simplify and clarify the business proposition - readable at the manager level. Here is clear and detailed coverage of APIS and protocols you cannot find anywhere else. It is written by a professional on the frontlines of convergence.