An open programming interface (API) to a service provider's network (the network operator), developed by the Parlay Group (www.parlay.org). By enabling the customer's application to talk directly to the network, it allows the end user to have greater access to network information as well as manage certain network features. The object-oriented, network-independent Parlay API supports multimedia data types and discovery. Pronounced exactly like the French "parler," which means "to talk."