R&D Spirits
Development of Next-generation IP Network
Design Tools Using Novel User Interfaces
Atsunobu Narita
Manager
Research and Development Department
NTT Comware Corporation

The Research and Development Department of NTT Comware Corporation has developed
visual and intuitive support tools for designing IP networks in collaboration with the MIT Media
Laboratory. This system, which features the use of a “tangible user interface” (TUI), aims tosimplify the complicated and time-consuming task of network design and has the potential tostimulate innovation in fields other than communications. We asked Atsunobu Narita, Managerof the Research and Development Department at NTT Comware (http://www.nttcom.co.jp/
english/), to describe this revolutionary system to us and explain its outlook for the future.

Making network simulation easier toperform and understand—Mr. Narita, please tell us something about yourcurrent R&D efforts.
We are working on the development of a systemcalled the Tangible IP Network Designer in collaboration with the MIT Media Laboratory to support thedesign, operation, and management of IP networks.
This system features a tangible user interface (TUI)
as proposed by Professor Hiroshi Ishii of the MIT
Media Laboratory. The TUI can be regarded as anevolutionary form of the user interface coming after
the character user interface (CUI) and graphical userinterface (GUI). As opposed to indirect operations
using a keyboard or mouse, the TUI promotes intuitive operations by giving meaning to certain objects
and allowing the user to manipulate those objects
directly.
The Tangible IP Network Designer actually consists of three systems supporting consulting, detailed
design, and network operation and monitoring. Letme give you a brief description of each. First, the consulting support system enables a user to perform realtime simulation of network behavior by moving
physical pucks on a TUI device called the6“Sensetable” in a game-like manner (Fig. 1). Second,the detailed-design support system enables the user toset detailed parameters for real-world simulations
using freehand, intuitive devices like an LCD tablet
or Anoto pen* (Fig. 2). And third, the operation-andmonitoring support system provides a network-monitoring function that can display simulation results inreal time using 3D animation and a naked-eye stereoscopic display (Fig. 3). In other words, the Tangible
IP Network Designer enables the user to obtain an
intuitive understanding of a network, which is something that is not visible to the human eye.
—How will this system change the network design
process?
By promoting an intuitive understanding of a network, this system can speed up the decision-making
process in network design and deployment and makefor more efficient network design. It can also be used
to make easy-to-understand and persuasive proposals
to customers by presenting plans that are intuitively
clear even to customers with no technical background.
* Anoto pen: Input technology using a pen and paper developed in
Sweden. http://www.anoto.com/

NTT Technical Review

R&D Spirits

Fig. 1. Consulting support system.

Fig. 2. Detailed-design support system.

Vol. 2 No. 6 June 2004

7

R&D Spirits

Fig. 3. Operation-and-monitoring support system.

From the beginning, certain aspects of IP network
design have depended on an engineer’s experienceand instinct, and the reality is that problems are often
not understood until after starting network operation.
Why is this? Well, the reason is that certain features
like quality and data transmission rate are not sufficiently evaluated beforehand at the design stage. But
in prior evaluation, by which I mean simulation, a key
issue is how to simplify the simulation of networks
that are becoming ever more complicated with themerging of telephone and IP networks. The 3D
stereoscopic displays (which do not require users towear special glasses) and realtime rendering using a
PC grid can provide network designers with an intuitive, three-dimensional understanding of network
structure and how various types of packets move
within the network (consisting of routers, links, etc.).
This technology can also be applied to realtime management of IP networks especially for crisis control.
For this reason, we consider customers outside NTT
as well as the NTT Group itself to be important targets of the Tangible IP Network Designer. For example, this technology should be applicable to the resonant communication network architecture (RENA),
which is part of NTT’s HIKARI Vision now being
pursued by the NTT Group.
8

Powerful tools for presentations andcustomer decision-making—What were some of the technical issues that you
faced in this development?
In the end, the biggest issue was incorporating various types of user interfaces including the TUI. We
took on this challenge and developed several groundbreaking interfaces by combining advanced simulation technologies with extensive know-how that NTT
Comware has acquired from years of designing andoperating networks. Although existing technologies
can simulate the behavior of huge and complex networks, setting and changing various parameters has
been a formidable input problem, and it has also beendifficult for non-specialists to readily understand simulation results output by the system. At the sametime, realtime simulation functions enable a network
designer to immediately determine the effects ofchanging parameters on network performance andcost and to efficiently find an optimal network configuration. I am sure that R&D to make network
design more efficient is being pursued at a number of
research sites, but the significance of our efforts is the
adoption of this new TUI concept to enable an intuNTT Technical Review

R&D Spirits

itive approach to network simulation and design. In
addition, the application of 3D technology to the realtime management of IP networks enables users totrace IP packets within an IP network in an intuitive
fashion, thereby simplifying analysis during network
troubleshooting.
—How did your interest in TUI come about?
A network is a complex thing that often evades
description, and how best to represent a network andmake it easy to understand has been one of my ongoing research themes. This is why I developed an interest in the TUI proposed by Professor Ishii as a nextgeneration interface. As a result of this interest, I
selected the development of a Tangible IP Network
Designer as a joint research theme with MIT thatwould combine TUI technology with IP-network
simulation technologies developed by NTT
Comware. Our aim here is to support not only consulting work using a TUI but also detailed designusing a LCD tablet or Anoto pen and operation andmonitoring using 3D input/output technology. In
short, we aim to develop an integrated combinationof various types of user interfaces including the TUI
called “Integrated UI Technology”.
—What are the advantages of using a TUI?
The greatest advantage of a TUI is its collaborative
capabilities. The Sensetable is an open user interface
that enables about 20 pucks to be placed at one timeon the table and several people to manipulate themsimultaneously. For example, a user can intuitively
understand whether a specified link is full or empty
and can perform on-the-spot analysis such as “thiscircuit is full due to streaming—let’s try anotherroute.” In addition, intuitive operations and easy-tounderstand visual representations help to close the“awareness gap” between people with strong technical backgrounds and those without. This facilitatessmooth discussions when making business presentations to management-level personnel. Another advantage is the realtime capabilities of a TUI. The
Sensetable enables a user to instantly recognize what
happens when network elements are changed in some
way by moving pucks. The results of simulations on
the Sensetable can also be portrayed by 3D animation, and a user can instantly switch from viewing one
network location to another as needed. In addition tosimulation, such 3D technology can be applied torealtime monitoring of actual networks.
Vol. 2 No. 6 June 2004

Keeping up with user needs and developing
new application fields—Mr. Narita, could you describe international anddomestic trends related to this R&D?
R&D projects focusing on TUI for real business arestill few and far between even on a world-wide basis.
In fact, I think we are the only group to associate TUIwith network design. From here on, though, I think
the TUI will be attracting more attention leading tomore collaboration on an international level.
—What kind of response has your work received inJapan and overseas?
We have had several opportunities to demonstrate
our Tangible IP Network Designer and have attracted
interest from various areas. In particular, this systemgenerated a huge response as a completely new
approach at an MIT sponsors meeting held in Octoberof last year and at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) held last December in Geneva,
Switzerland. The WSIS is a UN-sponsored event
dealing with communication technologies that
attracts visitors from around the world. One visitor
from Japan was Taro Aso, the Minister for Public
Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications, who expressed considerable interest in the
Tangible IP Network Designer, commenting that it
was an extremely unique idea. The Tangible IP Network Designer was also written about last November
in an article appearing in BusinessWeek, the American business periodical.
—What stage are you currently at in achieving apractical system?
Our efforts toward a practical, working system areprogressing and we are approaching the productstage. At present, we are engaged in a number of discussions regarding deployment, and while I cannot
go into detail, I can tell you that our talks with several customers including overseas telecommunication
carriers are reaching an advanced stage. Furthermore,considering the urgent need to train network engineers in developing countries in the construction of
network infrastructures, we are also holding discussions and performing studies on applying the intuitive
properties of TUI and 3D input/output to the field of
education and training.

9

R&D Spirits—What direction do you see this development taking
and what issues do you expect to encounter along theway?

Standardization Sector of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU-T) activities, which brings
me to the present.

One issue of prime concern is developing new
applications. The technology that we have developed
here is actually a form of middleware, and because
NTT Comware’s specialty is designing, operating,and maintaining telephone networks, this middleware
took form as a network-design support applicationthat we called Tangible IP Network Designer. Nevertheless, there is no reason why this middleware cannot be applied to other industries that have a need topresent large-scale and complex simulations in an
intuitive manner. As a matter of fact, the R&D department here at NTT Comware is now developing abusiness-processes consulting-support system using
TUI. A prototype version of this system was presented at MIT sponsors meetings held in March and Mayof this year, attracting a lot of interest.
I also think that our technology could be applied tosuch disparate fields as traffic control, distribution,and military planning. And if we create a generalplatform for driving applications that use Sensetable,
it should be possible to apply TUI to a variety offields in a flexible and quick way. These developments open up the possibility of further businessexpansion for NTT Comware.
Another important topic for study here is a platformthat can construct optimal user interfaces for an application by combining advanced user interfaces including TUI, 3D, and Anoto technologies. We refer to thetechnology behind this platform as “Integrated UI”
technology, which we expect to be useful in building
all kinds of systems.

—Are you involved in international activities such as
academic societies?

Toward R&D that strikes a balance between
theory and reality—Mr. Narita, please tell us something about yourresearch and work history.
Well, I entered NTT in 1992 and worked on developing operations systems for the telephone network
until 1997. Then, in 1998, I was transferred to the
U.S. office of NTT Communicationware (now NTT
Comware) where I surveyed trends in the operations
support system (OSS) of the telephone network in US
and studied and supported its introduction in Japan.
After three and a half years of this work, I returned toJapan in 2002 and soon became involved in joint
research with MIT as well as the Telecommunication
10

Yes, I have presented a paper at the ComputerHuman Interaction (CHI) conference and have participated in the Next Generation Networks (NGN) project in ITU-T. In relation to NGN, the appearance of
VoIP and other new technologies is requiring
telecommunication carriers to make new investments, but they have unfortunately lapsed into a business phase in which profits are decreasing. Under
these conditions, I think it is very important to consider how to construct new networks and how to provide diverse and sophisticated applications to run on
those networks. The next-generation network is currently one of the hottest topics at ITU-T.
The NGN is a packet-based, multi-service platform
in a ubiquitous, broadband environment providing
services independent of access method and media
type for all types of users. A wide variety of players
will be needed to promote NGN including telecommunication carriers, service providers, hardware/
software vendors, and users. And because next-generation networks will extend across national borders,standardization at the international level will beessential. At present, various standardization bodies
are expanding NGN-promotion activities. In ITU-T,
for example, the “NGN 2004 Project” is progressing
with the aim of completing initial documents by theend of 2004 within Study Group 11, Study Group 13,
and Special Study Group. The work of collecting
NGN architecture requirements is being performed,
in particular, by SG11, which has adopted a document submitted by our R&D department as a baseline
document for NGN basic architecture. In fact, ourdepartment has become the editor of this document,
and we are currently revising this document with theaim of finalizing by the end of 2004.
—What have you been aiming for in your R&D life up
to now?
Well, I can say that I am currently aiming for thecreation and realization of an NGN vision that I wasjust talking about. Making the transition from theexisting telephone network to an NGN featuring
packet-based, integrated networks will enable allkinds of media including voice, video, and broadcasts
NTT Technical Review

R&D Spirits

to be transmitted in real time. This capability, in turn,will bring forth diverse applications in rapid succession far beyond what is possible at present. Here, it
must be possible for new communication technologies like wireless technologies and RFID to be easily
incorporated into NGN as elemental technologies. In
this regard, I would like to create an NGN platformthat can handle such diverse technology elements andapplications in an integrated manner and combine
various service elements at the same time. Such aplatform will enable a carrier to quickly provide original services by simply selecting and incorporating
only those technology elements that are needed. The
Tangible IP Network Designer that we are currently
working on is a network management system geared
toward NGN.
The ideas behind NGN have a lot in common with
the RENA concept, especially the need for supporting
broadband applications, ensuring communications
quality, and achieving more intuitive, advanced interface technologies. I believe that the NGN technologies now being studied at ITU-T can also be applied
to RENA and that the establishment of more integrated technologies is possible.
—From your point of view, what are some good pointsof NTT Comware?
As a member of the NTT Group, NTT Comware
has long been involved in the operation of Japan’s
telephone network and in the development, operation,and maintenance of switches. The company’s major
strength lies in the mechanism and know-how behind
its total handling of such a large and complex network system. In this sense, NTT Comware has an
excellent foundation for advancing studies of architecture design and signal systems for NGN. Thesestudies will target, for example, technology for
migrating the Internet from the existing telephone
network to a next-generation network and provisions
for migrating to network operation technology. Bothof these are company strong points that I think should
also be utilized for future NTT Comware business.
—Could you comment on NTT or NTT Laboratories
for us?
When participating in ITU-T activities, we always
act in step with NTT Laboratories and the NTT
Group. For example, we hold regular meetings withNTT Network Service Systems Laboratories and
NTT Service Integration Laboratories to exchangeVol. 2 No. 6 June 2004

information on NGN design and standardization. We
also agree on a common direction and generally interact with each other quite well. In the future, I would
like to capitalize on NTT Comware’s strengths andpromote various types of collaboration with NTT
Laboratories and the companies in the NTT Group
toward the realization of NGN. I have a strong desire
to cooperate with the hope of stimulating a quantum
leap in the NTT Group, and to this end, I look forward
to working with all concerned.
—To conclude, what are your current aspirations, Mr.
Narita?
I think it is essential for R&D efforts to target cutting-edge technologies and make them practical for
real-world use. In this regard, I would like to promote
the standardization of an NGN vision through ITU-T
and then create a large set of technology elements thatcan be used to develop services that all kinds of customers including carriers and ISP providers can use.
If advanced applications above and beyond voicecommunications by VoIP can be developed and if
each network-related enterprise can distinguish itself
and create new revenue sources, the communication
business will no doubt undergo major changes in theyears to come. Looking to the future, I hope to contribute to the expansion of the entire NTT organization making good use of the technical strengths of the
R&D department at NTT Comware.

Interviewee profile■ Career highlights
Atsunobu Narita graduated from the University ofTokyo with a master’s degree in information sciencein 1992. He joined NTT in 1992 and engaged in thedevelopment of an operations support system (OSS)
for the telephone network. In 1998, he moved to the
US branch of NTT Communicationware (now NTT
Comware) in San Jose, California and worked for new
business development in the area of Telecom OSS. In
2002, he moved to the R&D department and is
involved in a project on the design and development ofa next-generation network (NGN). He is also contributing to NGN-related work in ITU-T.

11