A system for using policy knowledge of or obtained by a policy and charging rules function, PCRF, for needs based forwarding bearer session traffic to network nodes, the system comprising: a PCRF including: a policy engine configured to identify, using policy knowledge obtained by querying a policy database maintained by the PCRF, network nodes (108, 110, 112) hosting applications needed for processing packets of a bearer session and/or network nodes (108, 110, 112) hosting applications not needed for processing packets of a bearer session; an application routing configurator configured to use the policy knowledge obtained by querying the policy database maintained by the PCRF for providing instructions to configure at least one configurable network element to forward bearer session traffic to the network nodes identified as hosting applications identified as needed for processing packets associated with the session or to bypass the network nodes identified as not needed for processing packets associated with the session; wherein the application routing configurator comprises an OpenFlow compatible controller integrated within the PCRF; wherein the at least one configurable network element comprises an OpenFlow compatible switch; and wherein the instructions to configure the at least one configurable network element comprise at least one OpenFlow compatible command including parameters for identifying packets in the bearer session and an action to perform for matching packets that directs the OpenFlow compatible switch to forward the matching packets to the network nodes (108, 110, 112) identified as hosting applications identified as needed for processing the matching packets or to bypass the network nodes (108, 110, 112) identified as not needed to process the matching packets. a PCRF including: a policy engine configured to identify, using policy knowledge obtained by querying a policy database maintained by the PCRF, network nodes (108, 110, 112) hosting applications needed for processing packets of a bearer session and/or network nodes (108, 110, 112) hosting applications not needed for processing packets of a bearer session; an application routing configurator configured to use the policy knowledge obtained by querying the policy database maintained by the PCRF for providing instructions to configure at least one configurable network element to forward bearer session traffic to the network nodes identified as hosting applications identified as needed for processing packets associated with the session or to bypass the network nodes identified as not needed for processing packets associated with the session; wherein the application routing configurator comprises an OpenFlow compatible controller integrated within the PCRF; wherein the at least one configurable network element comprises an OpenFlow compatible switch; and wherein the instructions to configure the at least one configurable network element comprise at least one OpenFlow compatible command including parameters for identifying packets in the bearer session and an action to perform for matching packets that directs the OpenFlow compatible switch to forward the matching packets to the network nodes (108, 110, 112) identified as hosting applications identified as needed for processing the matching packets or to bypass the network nodes (108, 110, 112) identified as not needed to process the matching packets. a policy engine configured to identify, using policy knowledge obtained by querying a policy database maintained by the PCRF, network nodes (108, 110, 112) hosting applications needed for processing packets of a bearer session and/or network nodes (108, 110, 112) hosting applications not needed for processing packets of a bearer session; an application routing configurator configured to use the policy knowledge obtained by querying the policy database maintained by the PCRF for providing instructions to configure at least one configurable network element to forward bearer session traffic to the network nodes identified as hosting applications identified as needed for processing packets associated with the session or to bypass the network nodes identified as not needed for processing packets associated with the session; wherein the application routing configurator comprises an OpenFlow compatible controller integrated within the PCRF; wherein the at least one configurable network element comprises an OpenFlow compatible switch; and wherein the instructions to configure the at least one configurable network element comprise at least one OpenFlow compatible command including parameters for identifying packets in the bearer session and an action to perform for matching packets that directs the OpenFlow compatible switch to forward the matching packets to the network nodes (108, 110, 112) identified as hosting applications identified as needed for processing the matching packets or to bypass the network nodes (108, 110, 112) identified as not needed to process the matching packets.