Telecommunications service management

Abstract

A method of processing service information relating to a plurality of user services available in a telecommunications system is disclosed. The method includes storing entities defining service components in a service information database, where each service component entity represents a distinct aspect of service functionality which can be provided by the telecommunications system. Entities defining implementation technologies are also stored, each implementation technology entity being associated with a service component entity and representing a technology that can be used for implementing the aspect of service functionality represented by the service component entity. The method further stores entities defining user services available to users of the telecommunications system, each user service entity being associated with one or more service component entities defining service functionality aspects of the user service. The method can be applied to the management of service information databases or product catalogues for a range of telecommunications services and networks which provide complex services, for example Next Generation Networks (NGNs).