Overview

Our research in this area deals with the study of pricing schemes for ATM networks. Our focus is in two areas. First, we are developing pricing models which have a sound theoretical justification and satisfy desirable properties such as the accurate and fair reflection of the network resource utilization, the protection of the network from malicious use, the maximisation of the network and user welfare, and are easy to implement. Areas we are investigating include the application of effective bandwidths in pricing schemes, the use of microeconomic models, and recent proposals for Internet transport pricing. Also important are the development of methods for on-line QoS monitoring, appropriate for the needs of the pricing algorithms and the exploitation of existing technologies for monitoring and shaping of network traffic.

Second, we are investigating the requirements that pricing models impose on the network management architecture. This involves the extension of existing MIBs to support charging functions, the decomposition of charging and accounting functions, and the mapping of these to specific management functions implemented in different levels of the management hierarchy.

This work is funded by the E.C. under CA$hMAN, ACTS Project AC-039.

People involved

• Costas Courcoubetis
• Stelios Sartzetakis
• George D. Stamoulis
• Vasilios Siris

Representative Publications

• C. Courcoubetis, F. P. Kelly, and R. Weber. Measurement-based usage charges in communication networks . Statistical Laboratory Research Report 1997-19, University of Cambridge. To appear in Operations Research.
• C. Courcoubetis, V. A. Siris, and G. D. Stamoulis Application of the many sources asymptotic and effective bandwidths to traffic engineering. Telecommunication Systems, 12:167--191, 1999.
• C. Courcoubetis, F. P. Kelly, V. A. Siris, and R. Weber. A Study of simple usage-based charging schemes for broadband networks. Submitted August 1998. An earlier version appeared in Broadband Communications'98, Stuttgart, Germany, April 1998.
• V. A. Siris, D.J. Songhurst, G.D. Stamoulis, and M. Stoer. Usage-based charging using effective bandwidths: studies and reality. Accepted at 16th International Teletraffic Congress (ITC-16), Edinburgh, UK, June 1999. Extended version available as [TR-243 (.ps.gz)]
• C. Courcoubetis and V. A. Siris. Managing and pricing service level agreements for differentiated services. In Proceedings of the 7th IEEE/IFIP IWQoS'99 International Workshop on Quality of Service, UCL, London, UK, May 31 - June 4, 1999.
• C. Courcoubetis and V. A. Siris. An approach to pricing and resource sharing for ABR services. In Proc. of IEEE Globecom'98, Sydney, Australia, November 1998.
• C. Courcoubetis, G. D. Stamoulis, C.Manolakis, and F.P.Kelly An Intelligent Agent for Optimizing QoS-for-Money in Priced ABR Connections. Submitted to Telecommunication Systems.

Resources

• Frank Kelly's home page, CA$hMAN page
• Richard Gibben's PRICE page
• ACTS Project CASHMAN (AC-039) Page from Intrasoft, S.A.
• Hal Varian's The Information Economy. Univ. of California, Berkeley.
• Workshop on Internet Pricing, Journal of Electronic Publishing (JEP).
• Berkeley's INDEX (Internet Demand Experiment) experiment
• Usage charging for transatlantic network traffic, UK.
• Pricing the Internet, J. Crowcroft.
• Economics of the Internet, the New Zealand experience. See also ConneXions article. Network charges at the Univ. of Auckland, Charges for Waikato Univ.
• Contract Negotiation and Charging in ATM Networks (CANCAN). ACTS project.
• Center for Information Systems Management, University of Texas, Austin.
• An Economic Approach to QoS provisioning, DCC, Columbia University.
• COMET Group, CTR, Comumbia University
• Realizing the Information Future: The Internet and Beyond, National Research Council, National Academy Press.
• Internet & the Information Superhighway
• Computer and Information Systems, Univ. of Rochester.
• Pricing and Differentiated Services in Internet and ATM, Northwestern Univ.
• Telecom Info, Maintained by J. Mackie-Mason.

For more info: Vasilios Siris Tel: +30 2810 391726 Email: vsiris "at" ics "dot" forth "dot" gr