INAP

Inap is an acronym with multiple meanings. The most widely recognized use in technical literature is INAP, which stands for Intelligent Network Application Part. INAP is a signaling application protocol within the Signaling System No. 7 (SS7) family used to support Intelligent Network services in traditional telecom networks. It enables communication between service control points (SCPs) and service switching points (SSPs), allowing service logic to be invoked and responses returned as part of providing advanced features.

The primary purpose of INAP is to support dynamic service control for telephone networks, including operations such as number translation, prepaid charging, toll-free routing, and other value-added services. INAP specifications define how requests and responses are formatted and exchanged, facilitating the separation of service logic from basic call handling. Over time, implementations and variants of INAP have evolved, and some networks have migrated to newer architectures or alternative signaling approaches, while others maintain legacy INAP-based systems.

In addition to its technical meaning, the acronym INAP is also used by various national bodies for institutes of administration or public administration in different countries. These entities are unrelated to the telecom protocol and use the same acronym in a local context. The exact structure, remit, and name of such institutions depend on the country and governing bodies, and they may change over time.