NEC Develops Technology to Further Enhance NGN Service Platform Through Customized Services and Protection of User Privacy

*****For immediate use December 4, 2007

Tokyo, December 4, 2007- NEC Corporation announced the successful development of new technology to realize an NGN service platform function that combines the protection of user privacy with the provision of enhanced NGN services.

The technology combines service provision management technology that utilizes temporary anonymous IDs, which can only be used by service providers that satisfy certain criteria, widget1 distribution/display management technology, and user context2 management technology.

Users will be able to avail of services from different providers, while maintaining anonymity. Even with user anonymity, service providers will be able to distribute widget information customized to the status/interests of the user, and users will be able to easily avail of desired services by selecting widgets. This allows an attractive service provision platform that will enable easy and secure use of NGN platforms.

In recent years, along with the progression of NGN network construction, the expectations of new services utilizing NGN networks have increased. The newly developed technology will achieve a structure that securely links users and service providers through NGN networks that promote the use of even more attractive services. Moreover, users can freely try out new services as they can sever the relationship with the service provider at any time. Likewise, service providers can expand the range of their users by customizing the services they provide and approaching potential customers.

The main features of the new technology include:
(1) Life cycle management of anonymous ID based on user policy
A temporary anonymous ID will be created to enable the service provider to contact the user based on the policy defined by the user. This anonymous ID will be managed based on the user policy and will only enable the service provider to make contact with the user within the range of scope and time defined by the policy.
(2) Service access management technology
Even with the anonymous ID, management of service access can be achieved by monitoring the status of communication between the service provider and the user, in addition to whether the service was used or not.
(3) Widgets distribution/display management
Users can quickly verify what services they can use on any terminal through technology that enables display and distribution of widgets according to the status of the user, and utilization of device management for remote terminals.
(4) User context management technology
Dynamic/static context user information is used for widget and ID life-cycle management. Privacy protection is enforced based on the user policy when context information is acquired or during a user search.

NEC's new technology fulfills the mutual needs of service providers and NGN users, and will contribute to the expansion of services leveraging NGN networks. NEC will investigate the use of this technology in its service platform products and terminals.

This technology will be displayed at iEXPO 2007, NEC's own independent exhibition, being held from December 5 to 7 at Tokyo Big Sight.

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Notes

(1)

A widget (or control) is an interface element (or a graphical user interface - GUI) that a computer user interacts with, such as a window or a text box.

(2)

Context refers to a user's age, characteristics, attributes, or location information etc.

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