To realize multimedia services over communication networks, NTT, a Japanese carrier, has developed and implemented a variety of technologies, ranging from FTTH (Fiber to the Home) to security measures. As one of the multimedia service applications, Intelligent Transport System (ITS) is being developed, in which the insight and expertise of telecommunications operators are combined with the knowledge of roads and vehicles to create new network services. This paper discusses the functions of the required information sharing platform, especially those of the physical networks and the middleware. It examines the characteristics of ITS networks in comparison with those of conventional networks, and describes their physical implementation and system architecture. It then presents an information supply service, "Communication Navigator", as an example of the application of the agent function to be employed in ITS, along with some evaluation results. (A*)
Samenvatting