Abstract: A node (and method) provides a network-based information service in an intelligent communications network. The node is arranged to store customer identities, respective customer-associated lists of identities of information items for which the respective associated customer has access rights, and identities of item-associated information sources which store the respective items. It responds to a message from a customer requesting access to the information service and indicating an item which the customer wants sent to him, by ascertaining whether the requested item is in the customer's list, and, if so, retrieving the item from its respective source, and sending it to the customer. If the message does not contain an item identity, the list of items is sent to the customer for him to make a selection.

Abstract: Communications are established between a source user (305) and a destination user (307). Data is transmitted between these users in packets (204) having a destination address (205) and communication data (206). A destination name is identified in a first packet and this packet is transmitted to a service control platform (301) identifying, in its communication data, a destination name. A packet is then returned from the control platform (301) to the originating source (305) identifying a real contactable address for the identified destination (307). Subsequent packets of data are generated at the source (305) for transmission to the destination (307) wherein the transmitted packets have the actual destination address, as returned from the service platform, appended thereto.

Abstract: A switched telecommunications network includes different types of traffic, such as audio data, including voice data, fax and modem originated data, digital computer originated data and video data. A communications link connects a user's site to the network, and a bandwidth manager is provided to multiplex traffic of different types for transmission over the link. After transmission over the link, a complementary bandwidth manager is arranged to de-multiplex the traffic for application to the respective switch. The bandwidth manager is arranged to dynamically allocate bandwidth to the different types of traffic, thereby optimizing the available bandwidth provided by the communications link.

Abstract: A switched telecommunications network includes a plurality of switches for switching different types of traffic, such as audio data, including voice data, fax and modem originated data, digital computer originated data and video data. A communications link connects a user's site to the network, and bandwidth manager are provided to multiplex traffic of different types for transmission over the link. After transmission over the link, a complementary bandwidth manager is arranged to de-multiplex the traffic for application to the respective switches. The bandwidth manager is arranged to dynamically allocate bandwidth to the different types of traffic, thereby optimizing the available bandwidth provided by the communications link.

Abstract: A switched telecommunications network includes a plurality of interconnected switching devices and a plurality of access bandwidth managing devices. A transmitting access bandwidth managing device is arranged to compress user originated data for transmission over the network to a receiving access bandwidth managing device. The receiving access bandwidth managing device is arranged to de-compress the received data for transmission to a receiving user. However, while the data is being transmitted through the network, it remains in compressed form, thereby minimizing the introduction of distortion and loss. Compressed data is transmitted through standard switching equipment by adding blank data to switched words, without decompressing the actual compressed data itself.