The PSTN/Internet Interfaces (PINT) WG addresses connection
arrangements through which Internet applications can request and enrich
PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) telephony services.  An
example of such services is a Web-based Yellow Pages service with the
ability to initiate PSTN calls between customers and suppliers.

This working group has six main objectives:

* Study architecture and protocols needed to support services in which a
  user of the Internet requests initiation of a telephone (i.e., PSTN-
  carried) call to a PSTN terminal (i.e., telephone, FAX machine).
  The protocols are not to support any form of third-party call control 
or,
  for that matter, any type of call control; their role is rather to
  securely carry call requests to the PSTN. Specific services to be
  considered initially are Click-to-Dial, Click-to-Fax, 
Click-to-Fax-Back,
  and Web access to voice content delivered over the PSTN.

* Produce an informational RFC that describes current practices for
  supporting the services in question.

* Based on the existing practice and agreed on improvements, develop a
  standards track RFC that specifies a Service Support Transfer Protocol
  (SSTP) between Internet applications or servers and PSTN Intelligent
  Network Service Nodes (or any other node that implement the Service
  Control Function).  SSTP is an application-specific transport protocol
  operating over TCP.

* Consider security issues relating to prividing functions of this
  type. In particular understand any threats posed by this technology
  and resolve them, and any other security issues in the proposed 
standard.

* Based on the existing practice and agreed on improvements, develop a
  standards track RFC for a relevant MIB (SSTP MIB) to support the 
service
  management protocol between Internet applications and the PSTN Service
  Management System. The SSTP MIB is to conform to SNMP standards.

* Consider extensions of the above architecture and protocols to support 
a
  wider range of PSTN Intelligent Network (IN) based services.