AN ATM-based platform for rapid generation of multimedia applications

The Software Assembly Workbench (SAW) approach is used to assemble software by combining reusable building blocks, much in the way some commodity hardware is being designed. SAW requires a network execution platform that performs network functions necessary to execute typical services and provides access to telecommunications and computing functionality. SAW is based on two adjacent software layers, the upper service layer and the intermediate component layer. Both require the implementation of the lower capability layer, which resides on the network execution platform. This building block approach enables the rapid creation and customization of software that can be dependably executed in a distributed telecommunications network to create both narrowband and multimedia broadband services.