Communication between an application and a network element

Network elements (NE) of a telecommunications network and an application platform (SP), which provides value-added services on top of the network, communicate with each other by means of triggers (T) and handles (H). Triggers (T) are notifications containing information to be sent by a network element to the application platform (SL) upon occurrence of predefined events and handles (H) are commands to be sent by the application platform (SL) requesting execution of predefined actions at said network element (NE). A network element (NE) includes a management information base (MIB) containing managed objects, which describe variables and parameters accessible by a network management system (NMS) to control and monitor the network element (NE). In order to allow systematic interrogation of the triggers and handles interface of a network element (NE), its management information base (MIB) stores additional managed objects which describe the triggers (T) and handles (H) supported by said network element (NE). A software module (NID), which is part of the application platform actively interrogates the network element (NE) to find out which triggers (T) and handles (H) the network element (NE) supports. The module sends requests to the network element and stores in a data model (THB) information on the interface received back from the network element (NE).