JAIN (JavaAPI for Integrated Networks) is an activity within the Java Community Process, developing APIs for the creation of telephony (voice and data) services. Technically, JAIN consists of a number of "Expert Groups", each developing a single API specification.
JAIN is part of a general trend to open up service creation in the telephony network, so that by analogy with the Internet, openness should result in a growing number of participants creating services, in turn creating more demand and better, more targeted services.
A major goal of JAIN APIs is to abstract the underlying network, so that services can be developed which are independent of the network technology, be it the traditional PSTN or the Next Generation Network.
The JAIN effort has produced around 20 APIs, in various stages of standardization, ranging from Java APIs for specific network protocols, such as SIP and TCAP, through more abstract APIs such as for call control and charging, and even including a non-Java effort for describing telephony services in XML.
There is some overlap between JAIN and the Parlay/OSA work, which has resulted in extensive cooperation between the JAIN and Parlay bodies. Whether complete harmonization is possible is still uncertain.
