Application services infrastructure for next generation networks including a notification capability and related methods and computer program products

A method of providing a notification service, comprising:

• providing an application services middleware between a plurality of applications and a network layer of a next generation network, the application services middleware comprising a plurality of common infrastructure elements usable by the different applications, wherein a first one of the plurality of common infrastructure elements is to provide a first service that is associated with use of the next generation network and a second one of the plurality of common infrastructure elements is to provide a second service that is not associated with use of the next generation network;
• incorporating a notification service into the application services middleware as a common infrastructure element;
• and
• facilitating the sending of messages from authorized services to recipients using the notification service based on profile and preference data for the recipients that specify what times to send the messages to the recipients;
• wherein the times to send the messages to the recipients comprise on demand, at a specific future time, and on a periodic schedule;
• wherein the notification service comprises a network element of an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem;
• and
• wherein the Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem comprises a Multimedia Resource Function, the method further comprising:
• performing content adaptation for one of the messages using the Multimedia Resource Function.