IP media servers are rapidly gaining favor among telecom service providers seeking to upgrade their legacy networks for delivery of next generation services.

With the deployment of a common, shared IP media server platform within a next gen network, service providers can quickly and cost effectively launch advanced new features and capabilities to wow their customers and differentiate themselves from their competitors–as well as gain greater scalability and flexibility. At the same time they can significantly reduce their equipment footprint, cut energy costs and gain new operational efficiencies not possible with legacy networks.

Let’s take a closer look at the advantages IP media servers bring:

Reduced Upfront Cost

In TDM networks, the delivery of enhanced voice services such as conferencing, voicemail messaging, or IVR services each required their own dedicated voice processing equipment. That means lots of different servers and many times more network elements – resulting in much greater network complexity and a “patchwork quilt” of systems from different vendors. This is an extremely expensive and cumbersome approach: Not only is there more equipment to purchase, install, deploy and maintain, there are also challenges with system integration and future expandability.

In a next generation network, an IP media server handles all common media packet processing functions, whether it’s audio, video, fax, or speech media. It can handle functions like playing media clips (such as menu prompts, announcements or ringback tones), collecting DTMF digits (for PIN codes), recording media streams (for messaging applications) or mixing media streams together (for audio or video conferencing) – thus there is no need to have seperate media processing equipment for each service. As a result, a service provider can save significantly on up-front equipment costs because they don’t have to invest in separate media processing servers and systems for each new type of service they add to their portfolio.

Reduced Ongoing Costs

Because IP media servers “share” responsibility for media processing for different services, server resources are more efficiently utilized. So, not only do service providers reduce energy costs by reducing the number and variety of processing elements needed in order to deliver an array of next generation services, they also gain a network that makes more efficient use of server resources. That means less network equipment running idly when traffic volume decreases -- an inefficient use of power and equipment – and more effective use of servers when network traffic peaks.

Not only is the network inherently more efficient, the reduction in network elements means reduced network complexity, which in turn means less points of failure and reduced technical support costs. Network monitoring, troubleshooting, maintenance and repair and/or replacement of equipment are greatly simplified/reduced in an IP network. Plus, with one IP media server vendor to deal with, you have only one point of contact if an issue arises. In addition you will no longer have to worry if one of the many vendors you deal with goes out of business and stops supporting its products.

Even training costs are reduced, because you only have to train your IT team to support one system, as opposed to many disparate systems that are cobbled together.

Ease of Deploying New Services

Operating costs are also reduced because of the ease and speed with which providers can launch and provision new services – in other words, the process of launching advanced new services, such as video conferencing, as well as new features and capabilities, is many times less complex and labor intensive in an all-IP environment, and requires much less IT resources. With multi-service IP media servers in a next-generation network, the introduction of new services is often isolated to changes in the application layer only, allowing providers to quickly and seamlessly roll out advanced new services with less integration effort. What’s more, they can add new features and capabilities to existing services all by way of a centralized point of administration. That means they are able to more quickly respond to what their customers are demanding – and what their competitors are doing in the marketplace.

In addition, service providers benefit from the fact that today’s IP media servers are fully-interoperable with most other vendors’ application servers, thanks to open standards such as SIP, VoiceXML (News - Alert) and MSML (Media Server Markup Language, an XML-based scripting language for feature-rich media server control). That means providers can more easily add new capabilities (including integrating third party “white labeled” services) through faster and easier standards-based integration with their IP media server investments.

Other benefits – and there are many – include increased port density, multiservice reusability and improved scalability.

If you’re a telecom service provider executive, product manager or network architect currently exploring an upgrade to all-IP, or equipment manufacturer, VoIP application developer or system integrator, be sure to check out the upcoming free webinar, “Doing More with Less: How IP Media Servers Help Network Operators and Telecom Developers during Lean Economic Times,” scheduled for 10 a.m. (EST), Wednesday, June 17.

The online event will be led by Ray Adensamer (News - Alert), product marketing manager for RadiSys, who will explain the economic and service benefits that IP media servers deliver. He will show how telecom service providers can consolidate all their disparate media processing requirements and equipment into a common IP media server platform, thus increasing their ability to rapidly introduce new services and generate new revenues – while at the same time reducing costs.

Attendees will learn how they can avoid the cost and hassle of specialized engineering for real-time IP voice, video and speech packet processing by integrating “off-the-shelf”’ IP media server products. They will also learn how IP media servers simplify network topology and reduce costs, as well as how they help providers bring innovative new services to market faster.

A Q&A session with the audience will follow Adensamer’s presentation.

 

To register for this upcoming free webinar sponsored by RadiSys (News - Alert) and TMCnet, click here.