New services and applications have opened the floodgates to content-creation opportunities for end users and are changing the way that value is created, managed and monetized in communications networks. Because the new communications experience no longer revolves around basic high-speed connections, content has become an important element of services. This is especially true when the content is relevant to the context - location or personal needs - of the end user, heightening end user differentiation.

A growing number of service providers realize that they need to redefine their strategic goals and transform how they bring new services to market. They are looking for ways to accelerate and monetize service innovation, enable blending and personalization of services that further enhance the end-user quality of experience (QoE) by taking advantage of key user trends and technology evolutions, such as IMS, digital TV, and Web 2.0-based concepts and technologies.

A Service Delivery Environment (SDE) streamlines service creation, provisioning and management processes and enables efficient service agility, blending and personalization for a user-centric experience. An SDE moves away from the traditional "silo" model of service delivery and enables improved time-to-market with rapid creation and integration of new, innovative services at a lower cost. Most important, it helps service providers attract and retain subscribers, create new revenue streams, and adapt to new business models.