R&D Spirits
Next-generation Gateways for Advanced
Aggregation of Communication Services
Ryutaro Kawamura
Senior Manager, Supervisor, First Promotion ProjectNTT Cyber Solutions Laboratories

A project for implementing next-generation gateways using Open Services Gateway Initiative(OSGi) middleware is now underway at NTT Cyber Solutions Laboratories. We asked Senior
Manager Ryutaro Kawamura, the head of this project and a leader in OSGi standardization, todescribe the features of this gateway technology—called OSGi Service Aggregation Platform(OSAP)—and to tell us about the changes that it will bring to society.

Development of an original platform basedon the OSGi framework—Dr. Kawamura, could you outline your current
R&D work for us?
We are now researching and developing software
components based on middleware called Open Services Gateway Initiative (OSGi). Right now, we areworking on interconnecting network devices such as
cellular phones and personal computers, but we eventually want to interconnect all sorts of things including personal digital assistants (PDAs), audio-visualequipment, and automobiles so that they can communicate with each other. The age of ubiquitous computing is arriving fast, but to make effective use of aubiquitous environment, it must be possible to add
new functions, customize each user’s experience, anddeal with new problems on a continuous basis. It isextremely difficult, however, to respond individually
to changes of all types every time they are made. One
solution is to group together various kinds of communication-control functions, protocols, applications, etc. as a software component called a “bundle”
and to download only those bundles that are needed
when they are needed via the network (Fig. 1). Thisis the basic idea behind software components. Thisapproach means that the latest and most optimal soft6

ware is always being used and that each user’s gateway can be easily customized. The downloading of
only necessary bundles also means a savings in hardware memory capacity. One gateway-construction
technology based on this idea is OSGi, which is now
a target of international standardization [1]. NTT is
participating in these activities. OSGi middleware
can be incorporated in products like home gateways,
broadband routers, set-top boxes, personal computers, vehicle computers, and televisions according tothe application in question. In our project, we aredeveloping an OSGi Service Aggregation Platform,or OSAP for short. This is a next-generation Internetservices platform that features service gateways having original NTT extensions for security etc. control
in addition to the OSGi framework, plus a center system that manages service gateways and connects service providers with users.
—What kind of role will this technology play in society?
The spread of OSAP in society will enable Internet
services to be provided in a far more advanced andefficient manner. Various types of usage can be envisioned, but an especially good example is the “ICThome,” where ICT means information and communication technology (Fig. 2). In this scenario, each
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Communication devices(home gateways, routers, audiovisual equipment, automobiles,
cellular phones, PDAs, personal
computers, network devices, etc.)• Configure communication-device functions into bundles tosimplify the making of changes (via the network).
• Enable new functions to be added, gateways to be customized
for each user, and problems to be handled, etc.

Bundle (software component)(software providing communication functions,protocols, internal communication-device control,resource control, applications, etc.)
Download/remote-control

Data center

Fig. 1. Purpose of OSGi.

Features• Latest and most optimal bundles are downloaded over the network.
• Home gateway achieves centralized control.

Remote monitoring/control

Bundle(control software)

PC system

Download

Audio-visual system
OSGi
framework

Home-appliance system

Home gateway

Sensor system

Data center

InternetPC: personal computer

Fig. 2. OSGi control model (using a home gateway as an example).

household is given a service (or home) gateway
through which bundles can be downloaded over thenetwork. These bundles can be used to set up a security system or a home automation system, for example, that is always up to date with the latest functions.
The home gateway can also be connected to the local
Vol. 4 No. 10 Oct. 2006

government to enable the household to receive weather, earthquake, and other kinds of important information as well as a wide variety of services including
remote care for the elderly and disaster support. This
could be done by simply downloading bundles without having to install additional boxes (gateways).
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OSAP• “Service-provider multiplexing” through common use of OSAP-centersystem and service gateway• Service distribution and management through OSGI bundles

Service providers
External access
B B

BundlePC system

Network(FLETS, OCN,NGN, etc.)

B B

B
B
B

B
B

ControlB

NTT extension (CSC)
OSGi framework

Audio-visualsystem
Home-appliancesystem
Sensor system

B B
OSAP center system

Service gateway
CSC: Communication Service Concierge

Fig. 3. Outline of OSGi Service Aggregation Platform (OSAP) (using home services as an example).

—What are some key features of OSAP?
From an R&D viewpoint, one key feature is thegrouping of software in the form of a bundle throughthe use of Java. This enables software to be accessed
and used as needed. The idea behind OSAP was firstsuggested to us as “mobile agents in an active network,” which are software entities that can move
about the network as needed. But mobile agentsthemselves provide more functionality than is neededon OSAP, and since they can sometimes be complicated to work with and difficult to implement, I wanted to create something that could achieve a servicegateway in a simpler and feasible way. Later, with theappearance of Java, which provides software component elements, we had everything we needed to make
OSAP a reality (Fig. 3).
Another key feature in terms of practical use is that
OSAP can make the network very simple. Up to now,a gateway for each kind of service had to be set up ina house: a need for security functions meant using asecurity company’s gateway, a need for electricity
control meant using a power company’s gateway, andso on. Our OSAP technology, in contrast, can aggregate other service providers’ applications all together,
meaning that a single gateway can control a homeappliance system, a sensor system, an audio-visualsystem and so on. This makes the system all the moreuser friendly while at the same time eliminating the8development cost of gateways and center systems forservice providers.
—How do you think this technology will develop
three and five years into the future?
In the near future, I can see it being used for crimeand disaster-prevention systems by local governments as a platform for making society safer andmore secure. Further into the future, I can imagine
homes, companies, cellular phones, automobiles, andall kinds of things interconnected on this platform,
leading to entirely new ways of using the network. I
believe that OSAP has the potential to become thetechnical foundation for making the network a truesocial infrastructure.

A driving force behind OSGi standardization
activities as a leader—What is the worldwide trend in OSGi?
OSGi is based on middleware called JES created by
Sun Microsystems in 1998 as a platform for incorporating modules in embedded equipment. Althoughsimilar technologies had been proposed by variousvendors and carriers, OSGi is open middleware,
which may be one reason why it has become a defacto standard for all practical purposes. A standards
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body called the OSGi Alliance was established in
1999 and formal international standardization activities have been expanding since then.
—In what way is NTT involved in these standardization activities?
NTT plays a very important role in OSGi standardization. It began participating in the OSGi Alliance in2001 based on the idea that the prime mission of standardization is to make the next-generation Internetservices environment far better than anything that hascome before. That is to say, OSGi should not be treated as simply a tool for creating services. I myself
have been serving since October 2003 on the OSGi
Alliance Board of Directors and since 2005 also as avice-president for the Asia-Pacific region. I am
deeply involved in the process of management of thealliance while also working to establish groups inJapan and in the Asia-Pacific region. These responsibilities require that I make about six or seven overseas
trips a year, and since I am also working on the commercial aspects of OSGi for NTT, I’ve become quite
busy to say the least.
—How has NTT come to be viewed through thesestandardization activities?
At the OSGi Alliance, there are a total of ten people
on the Board of Directors, each with a vote. As
Japan’s only representative, selected from candidatesof major electronic-equipment and computer makers,
I can understand that much is expected of me andNTT as well. Since Japanese industry has been very
influential in the world for some time, Japanese companies were strongly expected to join the OSGiAlliance and produce OSGi-based products. To meetthese expectations, we have been active in educational and promotional activities within Japan. For example, OSGi Users’ Forum Japan was launched in September 2004. This regularly held forum consists ofworkshops, interconnectivity trials, and other activities to exchange information on OSGi technology andbusiness and to explore new services through thecooperation of diverse industries. Currently, 62 companies belong to OSGi Users’ Forum Japan. We areworking to increase membership with the aim of setting up an OSGi system within Japan in two or threeyears time.

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—Are you collaborating with any companies or universities in Japan or overseas?
We have had various inquiries from outside theNTT Group. For example, we are working with a gas
company in the Nagoya region of Japan to develop acomprehensive living-support system that includes
security, energy saving, and remote elderly care.

Developing a business-oriented mind basedon a vigorous R&D environment—Dr. Kawamura, how did you get started in yourcurrent R&D theme?
In 2000, a project called “flexible network architecture for competitive environment,” or FACE, wasestablished with a number of young researchers atNTT Laboratories. The objective was to predict technologies that would become necessary in the futureamidst an ever diversifying telecommunication environment. The project members began by identifying
five themes. One result of this work was the birth ofCommunication Service Concierge (CSC), an early
form of OSAP. This was where my research began, so
I cannot say that OSAP was only my idea—it wasalso thought of by all of the young members of thisproject.
—Where did your technical foundation come from?
I researched factory automation in the engineering
department while in graduate school, with a focus oncontrol technology for machine tools and measurement robots. I guess you could say that my field ofstudy as an engineer was to figure out what could bemade to move by computer.
—What motivated you to enter NTT?
To tell you the truth, my target on entering NTT was
not NTT Laboratories but rather the business division
since its job was to commercialize and market new
systems developed in the laboratories. You can imagine my disappointment when I was instead assigned
to NTT Transmission Systems Laboratories, a sectionof NTT that I didn’t even know existed. But much to
my surprise, I soon found out that I had been assigned
to a very interesting area. This was because theresearchers at these laboratories all had a businessoriented mindset! Many of my senior researchers
were keen on submitting their technologies to the out9

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side world, an attitude that had a great influence on
me. Looking back to that time, it was good that things
didn’t work out as I had originally hoped. Very soonafter being assigned to NTT Transmission SystemsLaboratories, I was able to get several products tomarket, which had the effect of keeping me very
motivated.
—What research themes have you worked on over thecourse of your career?
My initial work involved a self-healing system for
ATM (asynchronous transfer mode) networks. Thissystem used technology that could automaticallyreroute and restore communications in about one second in the event of a fiber being cut by some sort ofdisaster. I worked on this system by myself for a period of about five years starting in 1989, doing everything from basic research to programming, and thesystem that I completed was deployed in NTT’s ATM
leased line service. I also researched an uninterruptible transmission system in parallel with my work on
this self-healing system. An uninterruptible transmission system can be thought of as technology that goesbeyond the self-healing system, which reroutes andrestores communications after a circuit cutoff. What
it does is to send the same information through two
strands of fiber in parallel so that the signal cannot,
for all practical purposes, be cut off. This system waseventually implemented by some of my colleagues
and has come to be used in digital terrestrial broadcasting and other communication applications that
require high levels of quality and reliability.
However, I have also researched themes that neverreached a practical level. In 1994, I collaborated witha certain company in the development of technology
for securing bandwidth in an IP (Internet protocol)
network. We even developed a product based on thistechnology, but unfortunately, it never left the laboratory. One reason given for this is that the technology
itself was ahead of its time, but I cannot deny that wecould have made more effort with regards to standardization. But I learned much from this failure, andin my work on OSAP, I am placing a lot of importance on standardization.
Next, I left Japan in 1998 to spend a year at Columbia University in the USA as a guest researcher. It wasthere that I encountered mobile-agent and active-network technology based on Java, which are areas related to OSAP. On returning to Japan, I was given theopportunity to start the FACE project, a theme thatwas closely related to my studies at Columbia, and10

the timing could not have been better.
—What is it that you strive for in your R&D life?
I want to make things and develop mechanisms thatwill make it easier for people to enjoy the convenience of the networked society. And I want this to
apply not just to people that represent heavy users of
personal computers and cellular phones, but also topeople that represent the digital divide in society.
However, an always-on network connection does notnecessarily mean absolute bliss for everyone. So I
want to explore this issue not only from the viewpointof convenience and usefulness but also in terms of thedisadvantages that such network features may bring.

Giving top priority to devising technologies
useful to society—What do you think is your future R&D direction
including your current line of research?
Well, I’ve been working on OSGi/OSAP for about
six years now, and much of that time has been spent
in research and development. From here on, I feel that
I should exert my efforts in making sure that
OSGi/OSAP becomes a truly useful technology tosociety. To this end, it will not suffice to concentrate
only on standardization or commercialization.
Rather, I must achieve a good balance between thetwo. That is exactly what my role should be.
—What do you think is most important for aresearcher?
“Create technology that can be used!” Of course, inresearch, a certain technology may be important even
if only from an academic viewpoint, but I myself put
priority on usability as much as I can. My prime R&D
objective is to give form to my ideas and submit themto the outside world in the hope that they will be truly
useful, even if they may not be academically valuable. In this endeavor, I am quite happy.
—What has it been like for you personally working atNTT Laboratories?
In short, NTT Laboratories is a group of researchersthat have inherited an unbroken tradition of thinking
in a “can do” manner. It’s exactly this very strong passion for practical application that I find of great value
and that I believe is NTT Laboratories’ greatest asset.
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With an attitude like this, a researcher will always
research what the times demand regardless of how thetimes change so that he or she can give society what
it needs. If we were to break with this tradition, Ithink that NTT Laboratories’ reason for existing
would become a bit shaky. This, I believe, says a lot
about NTT Laboratories.
—Dr. Kawamura, what would you say to young
researchers?
I would like to say something to all university students that are serious about getting into research.
Please give more serious thought in selecting where
you want to conduct your research. These days, many
students depend only on images or even TV commercials in determining whether a certain company isgood or bad for them. I was also guilty of that at onetime. However, such impressions are not necessarily
true representations of a company, and the difference
between the image that one has created in one’s mind
and what is real is bound to be disappointing. To prevent this from happening, focus instead on the mindset of a company or research institution. NTT Laboratories, for example, is very application-oriented
with a “can-do” mindset, as I have mentioned. It’s aplace where making contributions to society in various forms is considered to be an important mission.
To budding researchers who are knocking at our gatewith the hope of giving their ideas form and contributing to society, we extend a hearty welcome!

Interviewee profile■ Career highlights
Ryutaro Kawamura received the B.S. and M.S.
degrees in precision engineering and the Ph.D. degree
in electronics and information engineering from
Hokkaido University, Hokkaido, in 1987, 1989, and1996, respectively. In 1989, he joined NTT Transmission Systems Laboratories. From 1998 to 1999, he wasa visiting researcher at CTR in Columbia University,
USA. He has been engaged in research on network
reliability techniques, network control and management, high-speed computer networks, active networks, network middleware, and next-generationInternet architecture. Since 2003, he has been a member of the Board of Directors of the OSGi Alliance andsince 2005 its Vice President for the Asia-Pacificregion. He is a member of the IEEE Communications
Society and the Institute of Electronics, Information
and Communication Engineers of Japan.

Reference[1]

R. Kawamura and H. Maeomichi, “Standardization Activity of OSGi
(Open Services Gateway Initiative),” NTT Technical Review, Vol. 2,
No. 1, pp. 94-97, 2004.

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