Enum
ENUM is a protocol that is the result of work of the Internet Engineering Task Force’s (IETF’s) Telephone Number Mapping working group. The charter of this working group was to define a Domain Name System (DNS)-based architecture and protocols for mapping a telephone number to a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) which can be used to contact a resource associated with that number. ENUM was developed as a solution to the question of how network elements can find services on the Internet using only a telephone number, and how telephones, which have an input mechanism limited to twelve keys on a keypad, can be used to access Internet services. ENUM at its most basic is the convergence of PSTN and IP networks; it is the mapping of a telephone number from the public switched telephone network to Internet functionalities.
ENUM enables Internet-based users to make a selection from a range of services available for communicating with another person when the caller knows only a telephone number or has access only to a telephone keypad. ENUM allows users to access Internet-based services and resources from Internet-aware telephones, ordinary telephones connected to Internet gateways or proxy services, and other Internet-connected devices where input is limited to numeric digits. ENUM enables users to specify their preferences for receiving incoming communications, and gives greater user control over communications. For example, a user can specify a preference for voice mail messages over live calls during certain times of day, or may indicate a destination for call forwarding.
The potential applications of ENUM are far-reaching; however, the principal applications for ENUM have centered on two areas. One is Voice over IP (VoIP) and the other centers on Voice Protocol for Internet Mail (VPIM). The long-stated goal of the VoIP industry has been to make a phone call over the Internet as easy to make and as high-quality as a regular PSTN phone call. The goal of the VPIM industry has been to develop a comprehensive mechanism by which voice mail systems could exchange messages over IP networks. ENUM enables carrier and enterprise voice mail systems to find each other, interoperate, and exchange messages.
Although VoIP and VPIM are the most widely discussed applications, other application possibilities for ENUM, including but not limited to Internet Fax and Instant Messaging, exist.
ENUM has started user trial registrations. I have already got mine :-).
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