<s>
Communications	B-Application
servers	I-Application
are	O
open	O
,	O
standards-based	O
computing	O
systems	O
that	O
operate	O
as	O
a	O
carrier-grade	O
common	O
platform	O
for	O
a	O
wide	O
range	O
of	O
communications	O
applications	O
and	O
allow	O
equipment	O
providers	O
to	O
add	O
value	O
at	O
many	O
levels	O
of	O
the	O
system	O
architecture	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Based	O
on	O
industry-managed	O
standards	O
such	O
as	O
AdvancedTCA	O
,	O
MicroTCA	O
,	O
Carrier	B-Application
Grade	I-Application
Linux	I-Application
and	O
Service	O
Availability	O
Forum	O
specifications	O
,	O
communications	B-Application
servers	I-Application
are	O
the	O
foundational	O
platform	O
upon	O
which	O
equipment	O
providers	O
build	O
network	O
infrastructure	O
elements	O
for	O
deployments	O
such	O
as	O
IP	B-Protocol
Multimedia	I-Protocol
Subsystem	I-Protocol
(	O
IMS	O
)	O
,	O
IPTV	O
and	O
wireless	O
broadband	O
(	O
e.g.	O
</s>
<s>
Support	O
for	O
communications	B-Application
servers	I-Application
as	O
a	O
category	O
of	O
server	O
is	O
developing	O
rapidly	O
throughout	O
the	O
communications	O
industry	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Standards	O
bodies	O
,	O
industry	O
associations	O
,	O
vendor	O
alliance	O
programs	O
,	O
hardware	O
and	O
software	O
manufacturers	O
,	O
communications	B-Application
server	I-Application
vendors	O
and	O
users	O
are	O
all	O
part	O
of	O
an	O
increasingly	O
robust	O
communications	B-Application
server	I-Application
ecosystem	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Regardless	O
of	O
their	O
specific	O
,	O
differentiated	O
features	O
,	O
communications	B-Application
servers	I-Application
have	O
the	O
following	O
attributes	O
:	O
open	O
,	O
flexible	O
,	O
carrier-grade	O
,	O
and	O
communications-focused	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Several	O
industry-managed	O
standards	O
are	O
critical	O
to	O
the	O
success	O
of	O
communications	B-Application
servers	I-Application
,	O
including	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PICMG	O
Advanced	B-Architecture
Mezzanine	I-Architecture
Card	I-Architecture
specification	O
defines	O
the	O
base-level	O
requirements	O
for	O
a	O
wide	O
range	O
of	O
high-speed	O
mezzanine	O
cards	O
optimized	O
for	O
,	O
but	O
not	O
limited	O
to	O
,	O
AdvancedTCA	O
Carriers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
AdvancedMC	B-Architecture
enhances	O
AdvancedTCA	O
's	O
flexibility	O
by	O
extending	O
its	O
high-bandwidth	O
,	O
multi-protocol	O
interface	O
to	O
individual	O
hot-swappable	O
modules	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
PICMG	O
specification	O
provides	O
a	O
framework	O
for	O
combining	O
AdvancedMC	B-Architecture
modules	O
directly	O
,	O
without	O
the	O
need	O
for	O
an	O
AdvancedTCA	O
or	O
custom	O
carrier	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
to	O
the	O
standards	O
development	O
organizations	O
mentioned	O
above	O
,	O
four	O
industry	O
associations	O
/	O
vendor	O
alliance	O
programs	O
are	O
playing	O
key	O
roles	O
in	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
the	O
communications	B-Application
server	I-Application
ecosystem	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
SCOPE	B-Application
Alliance	I-Application
is	O
an	O
industry	O
alliance	O
committed	O
to	O
accelerating	O
the	O
deployment	O
of	O
carrier	O
grade	O
base	O
platforms	O
for	O
service	O
provider	O
applications	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
is	O
an	O
ecosystem	O
of	O
technology	O
,	O
service	O
and	O
solution	O
providers	O
aligned	O
to	O
provide	O
standards-based	O
solution	O
elements	O
validated	O
with	O
Motorola	O
's	O
communications	B-Application
servers	I-Application
.	O
</s>
