Abstract: A service creation system for a communications network of the intelligent network type has three different levels at which service creation activities can be carried out, these being SCE1, SCE2 and SCE3. The use of separate levels allows access to the service creation system to be kept functionally separate for users having different interests in the network. Hence, features which have to be installed at the network element level for a selected service to be available can be created in SCE1. Marketable service features, which give a view of features in that they encapsulate call handling logic thereof together with support and management descriptions of the feature, can be created in SCE2. Service packages, which permit collection of marketable service features to meet requirements of a service together with service-specific support and management information, can be created in either of Sce2 or SCE3.

Abstract: A communications network offers a variety of services to the customer while being able to add or modify the portfolio of services available. A service delivery infrastructure is provided, which would sit in the Service Control Point of an intelligent network architecture, and which delivers services using an array of service independent features. In the arrangement described, the service delivery infrastructure has an object oriented architecture and interacts with systems, such as billing and network management in the communications network by means of objects within the infrastructure. An aspect of the infrastructure is the provision of selected sets of services to users of the communications network, which selected sets effectively provide dedicated service networks to each customer.