Method and Apparatus for Managing Subscriber Profile Information

A method for managing subscriber profile information in a telecommunications network, which comprises the steps of:

• providing a database containing a global subscriber profile, the global subscriber profile including the subscriber profile information;
• requesting, via a network element serving a subscriber terminal, information from the global subscriber profile associated with a subscriber identity provided by the subscriber terminal;
• determining if all the subscriber profile information required for performing a function of the network element is compatible with the network element;
• and
• transforming incompatible information into information compatible with the network element.

A network element for a telecommunications network, the network element comprising:

• receiving means for receiving a subscriber identity from a subscriber terminal;
• means for requesting information associated with the subscriber identity from a database containing a global subscriber profile, the global subscriber profile containing subscriber profile information;
• and
• means for determining if all the subscriber profile information required for performing a function is compatible with the network element and transforming incompatible information into information compatible with the network element.