IMS- heralding the era of new communication services

IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), which is the evolution of all converged
networks, is emerging as the very "core" for the majority of NGN
deployments and at the same time heralding a new world of services
for wireless, cable, IP-Telephony and next-generation fixed line service
providers. A TIMES GLOBAL JOURNAL primer...

The evolution of the Next Generation Networks is bringing about a number of chain-lined sequences of activities spanning standards, networks, architectures and applications. This is brne out of the premise and the known potential of new, converged networks offering an array of voice, data and multimedia services over IP core network architecture.

The move towards convergence is being influenced by the thrust towards ubiquity and universality of accessing services across any kind of networks and the changed expectations of consumers. This need for open standards compelled fixed line providers to look anew at their existing business models and explore new revenue streams and wireless operators to explore new markets being shaped by the world of convergence.

In effect, IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), which is the evolution of all converged networks, is emerging as the very "core" for the majority of NGN deployments and at the same time heralding a new world of services for wireless, cable, IP-Telephony and nextgeneration fixed line service providers. It is a set of core network functional entities- built on Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) protocols -that support access to operator provided SIP (SessionInitiation Protocol )-based services. SIP-acknowledged for its simplicity and availability- will help establish IP connections and interactive user sessions and will be IMS's open interface.

Says Jaikishan Rajaraman, Director, Product and Service Development, GSM Association, "Clearly, there is a huge demand for new communication services fuelled by market dynamics, changing user demands and expectations, and the role played by standards organizations. The widespread adoption of a robust and complete multi-media system will be the key to the very success of converged and ubiquitous services and the accessibility through any kind of enduser device. An all-IP core network because of the inherent interoperability will allow service providers to mix and match both hardware and software elements.

Furthermore, carriers will need enhanced network capabilities to migrate to IMS." IMS is a new and evolving industry standard or a framework that defines how communications technologies can work together to deliver new services to enrich communications for end-users. IMS defined and developed by 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project) and 3GPP2 organizations -anagglomeration of standards bodies from Europe, North America and Asia- provides an enabling architecture that is access independent. IMS was introduced for the first time in Release 5 specification of 3GPP. Critically, this access independence (irrespective of existing or emerging technologies) is central in the move towards supporting converged services and to become the standard of choice for a number of industry leaders. This versatility will ensure IP-based services over Wi-Fi, WiMax, DSL, cable, optical, WLAN, GPRS and other types of existing as well as futuristic networks.

Elaborates V.K. Budhraja, President and CEO, Clovis, "It is pertinent to note that service offerings commoditization has increased quite dramatically in the communications industry. So, the interoperability premise is what will fundamentally change the way telecommunication carriers and equipment vendors operate and drive innovations. Of course, there will be many critical technical challenges pertaining to adoption and migration to the new generation architecture before the full realization of richer, multimedia services and applications like multi-party video-conferencing, Instant Messaging (IP), video-ondemand, video sharing etc. Software innovation will result in more new services and applications. This interoperability will have enormous potential to support business services as well. The very nature of innovative applications in next-generation or smart phones that support VoIP over Wi-Fi networks will support these services."

Undoubtedly IMS while being a reference architecture describing a set of logical functions and inter-network gateways provides a workable framework for a scalable and distributed IP-based environment. The
various advantages and certain synergy elements will far outweigh the "teething" issues of migration that some wireline operators with legacy networks and complex interconnected environments are wary about.
Many of the challenges will also center around engaging and familiarizing existing customers with the unique strengths of IP to deliver a "bouquet" of new, exciting multimedia services.

Rajaraman avers that the various advantages of converged networks based on an all-IP core would hasten the adoption of IMS by a large number of players. "Notably, a single converged network-based on IP and the very nature of open standards propagation will streamline management and result in reduced maintenance and operations costs. Expectedly, a unified service environment will lead to rapid deployment of new services across geographies and also present users the luxury and option of choosing the network that provides the best services
consistently," he adds.

Budhraja highlights the other inter-related variables that will drive the forces of building converged networks. "The number of opportunities that will accrue for players in the ecosystem capable of making the right moves will be plentiful. Of course, standards and their adoption will play a key role in unifying the new service levels that will emerge. Pricing structures, billing systems, revenue sharing, acceptance levels by a new class of consumers will be other key issues."

The newness of IMS technology and the various adaptability and interface testing parameters still to be implemented will deter a number of players from fast-paced adoption. All players will have to realign themselves to a new set of challenges that will be purely dictated by the "pull-push" effect of consumers hungry for a range of ubiquitous services. However, the very dynamics of operations and capabilities to offer new services and applications are going to change the sweepstakes for telecommunication carriers and services providers. So whether, they are major wireline or wireless network service providers, large equipment vendors or handset manufacturers, all influential players are looking towards IMS as the 'enabler' and the common service environment of a new generation of communication services.

TESTING CHALLENGES- A Note
	Amir Aghdaei, Vice-President and General Manager, Measurement Systems Division, Agilent Technologies on Testing Challenges in the new millennium
“Two major trends in the wireless industry are dictating the way the industry looks at testing and measurement challenges. Integration or convergence of various technologies is one major challenge. And smart phones having the capability of allowing video broadcasting, web browsing etc. are a prime example of the exciting changes happening in the wireless space. The second challenge is based around offering low-cost solutions to companies. In today's volatile wireless market, the only constant is change. A multitude of new standards for cellular phones are emerging, but their deployment plans continue to change, making it difficult to predict what the market will demand next. Two sets of challenges require two sets of solutions. Moreover, on the convergence side, devices are becoming far more complicated and therefore the tests that are required are also becoming complicated. It requires companies like Agilent to stay on top of these rapid developments, stay abreast of the latest technologies defined by the market makers, and work closely with chipset providers, OEMs, reference design houses, test houses and the bodies which actually verify devices and protocols. The challenges have always been two dimensional - the dimension of technology and that of cost. Further, due to different standards in place, the test capabilities are also becoming complicated. Agilent has tremendous amount of measurement and test expertise and by working with the market makers and through various partnerships and collaborations, we develop rapid test capabilities for design verification, quality assurance, performance monitoring, interoperability and certification. Agilent also offers test solutions with a wide range of measurement capabilities and flexible configuration parameters. On the other hand, entities in the wireless value chain also look to us to reduce the costs of tests- a very crucial factor- and the only way to do that is to look at not only capital expense but also the operator’s cost, the test time cycles and defects and then trying to see how one can continuously bring about a 5-10 % reduction year after year."