Co-opetition enabling security for cooperative networks: Authorizing composition agreement negotiations between ambient networks

Networks are under control of different authorities because of ownership. To flexibly use capabilities across network borders or to even change border, decisions are needed that effect the autonomy of organizations, which have the authority to control their networks. Co-opetition, on the other hand, where a network of stakeholders co-operate and compete to create maximum value, is one of the most important business perspectives of recent years. To support co-opetition, flexibly use of capabilities across network borders is helpful. Network composition enables to share capabilities between different networks. Determining which capabilities are desired and allowed to be shared is here understood as the result of a composition process. This composition process may encompass negotiations or it can be based on matching predefined profiles. Any non manual, adequately secured composition process between networks of different authorities, however, needs an authorization for such composition to happen between authenticated networked partners. This article presents the approach and procedure for authorizing the negotiations between networks that want to compose to improve the network owner position regarding co-opetition.