SIP

The IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) architecture has been the buzz of the communications industry for some time now. In fact, most service providers have already deployed IMS support in their networks. But is the power of this standardized networking architecture truly being utilized?

IMS enables a host of advanced multimedia networking applications over fixed and wireless networks. Yet service providers have been slow and cautious to deploy new services for a variety of reasons. Legacy platforms that handle OSS, CRM and other back-end processes are firmly entrenched and not always easy to modify to accommodate resource-intensive new services. But perhaps a larger consideration for service providers is what awaits them on the client side as they roll out new services to their subscribers. End user devices will need to handle the new breed of service offerings without compromising security or user experiences. This is where the power of dual-core processing enters the picture as an important component in the overall IMS schematic.

“The telecom service provider industry is at an inflection point,” said Ron Nevo, who handles senior strategic marketing for the Intel (News - Alert)’s Mobility Group. Nevo believes that in order to achieve short time to market for new services, operators will have to deliver services to a breed of clients that can support the rapid rate of innovation. Intel’s Centrino Duo is a dual-core processing platform, well suited for handling such resource-intensive multimedia applications. Distribution of the encryption and transport of audio and video packets between dual processors operating in parallel offers a better end user experience without sacrificing the quality of the audio and video. The Centrino platforms also come equipped with WLAN support through the Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection.

Nevo said that while a lot of the news surrounding IMS deployments has focused on service provider network modifications, not enough attention has been paid to client side advancements. “Ultimately, IMS allows you to use a PC as a client as well,” he said, adding that the PC ecosystem provides a number of benefits in processing IMS services. While phones and handheld devices play an important role, they don’t enjoy the established development ecosystem of the PC. Tools and optimizations are already firmly entrenched on PCs, so applications like a softphone running IMS on a laptop computer, for instance, are relatively easy to deploy.

SERVICE PROVIDERS NEED A SHIFT IN STRATEGY
“IMS is a very exciting technology in the industry today, providing many different advantages and benefits,” said Jennifer Fruehauf, research manager at Frost & Sullivan. “At the same time, there are strong implications on carrier strategies, structures and market approaches, which must be taken into account when assessing the implementation of IMS technology.”

A recent Frost & Sullivan report finds that application-level strategies will assume importance with the deployment of IMS, and will facilitate implementation of a single application platform for offering fixed and mobile access services. This will ultimately encourage the telecommunications industry to shift from a structure based on access technologies to one that emphasizes applications and services.

This will require end devices to easily interoperate, an initiative that is now being demonstrated by the GSM Association through its Video Share tests. The tests enable a participant in a voice call to send live video to the other participant, using IMS to share video across fixed and mobile networks. Intel and Nokia (News - Alert) recently took part in the testing at the 3GSM (News - Alert) World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. They demonstrated that two disparate mobile clients, an Intel powered laptop and a Nokia mobile phone, could easily share video using IMS. Ericsson (News - Alert), Lucent and Siemens (News - Alert) are also testing interoperability between their phones and Intel laptops and PCs.

SHIFTING THE FOCUS TO END USERS
According to Ron Nevo, the key for service providers is to provide the same capabilities and services to end users regardless of which devices they are using. Unfortunately, while most service providers are fully supporting IMS on the engineering side, their marketing and development strategies are falling behind. Nevo believes that by making the PC ecosystem IMS friendly, innovation will be open to scores of developers on the data side of the equation. This can only serve to help service providers and equipment vendors alike, as both groups need to work together to make IMS succeed.

“People like choices, but they also want simplification,” said Nevo. IMS can provide simplicity since services may be delivered to all types of clients, but it also offers enhanced security in terms of privacy and identity protection, as well as scalability for services like VoIP.

Intel’s Centrino and Centrino Duo mobile technologies have proven to be robust client platforms and lend themselves to the delivery of IMS applications over fixed and mobile networks. Now service providers need to figure out the best way to work with equipment vendors in developing a new breed of client agnostic multimedia services.

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Laura Stotler writes about IP Communications and related topics for TMCnet. She has covered VoIP and related technologies for seven years, contributing to Internet Telephony magazine and TMCnet, and as a freelance writer. To see more articles, please visit: Laura Stotler’s columnist page.