A major feature of the Internet. The intelligence and functions in an Internet-based application reside at both ends of the network (client side and server side), not within the Internet backbone. The Internet acts as a transport between the two.
Not Considered Intelligent
The Internet differs from the "intelligent networks" of the telephone companies, which, for decades, have interconnected circuits between caller and receiver. In order to add a new type of service, the switches in the telephone network must be updated. In the Internet, switches are not updated for application changes, only speed and quality of service (QoS) enhancements. See
dumb network.