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IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) is quickly becoming the architecture of choice for wireless and wireline convergence. Many service providers are also beginning to tap into its ability to offer advanced, revenue-generating features over next-generation networks. But making advanced services accessible by broadband wireless users constitutes only part of the equation for service provider success. The other part consists of service delivery using VoIP and IP multimedia application platforms designed to attract developers and host the true killer application: Continuous application innovation that responds to — and even anticipates — customer need. A Look at the Architecture
Today, a typical service provider infrastructure consists of a collection of disparate networks running voice, data, video, and wireless as separate entities. Not only is this approach inefficient, it is costly and inflexible. By contrast, IMS provides a set of standards and architecture that allows service providers to collapse those disparate networks into a common set of elements. This approach pulls together the core switching, transport, and application elements into one common set of network components that manages all functions.
IMS provides a common framework for wireless, wireline, and cable access and for the delivery of VoIP, data, and multimedia traffic. Instead of deploying and managing several different networks, with IMS there is one network managed at a core level, delivering common services to multiple transport mechanisms such as phones, personal computers, video, and television. Not only can you use IMS to deliver separate applications to multiple devices, but you can also combine those services as bundled offerings. Far more efficient than running four or five disparate networks, the IMS approach reduces operating costs and enables innovative service creation.
Creative Applications
Because basic services have become commodities, service providers are constantly looking for new ways to differentiate their offerings. That is the inherent beauty of IMS. IMS allows service providers to leverage their investments to increase revenue and deploy innovative new IP voice, data, and multimedia services at the application layer. Types of applications include those that enable network convergence between wireline, wireless, and packet networks, applications that enhance the user experience, and applications for specific markets or specific customers.
With the IMS architecture, service providers can rapidly enhance and deliver new mix-and-match services across one core network for delivery to many transport elements. For example, you might integrate your mobile PBX with your fixed line PBX and add enhanced services to both applications. In another example, you may already provide residential voice service and now want to add video. By adding an IPTV video server, you can now deliver video and voice through the core IMS platform to various devices — mobile phone, television, personal computer, and hard phone.
Taking IMS to a higher level, you can create integrated applications managed by the IMS core. For example, with both an IPTV and a voice server sitting separately in the application layer above the core network, you may want to create a combined service such as one that allows a user to receive caller ID notification on the television screen and use a remote control to answer the call or send it to voice mail.
In a different combination, you might create a new service by adding a presence application into the mix. Based on a user’s presence, the application could provide a specific message for a specific caller, block particular callers, or notify callers when a user does not want to be disturbed. In this instance, the IMS core would interact with a voice server, an IPTV server, and a presence server, all residing in the application layer. Because IMS enables such
quick creation of enhanced services, combined applications such as these may be available in the
not-too-distant future.
IMS also provides greater freedom to operators by enabling them to separate applications from architecture. This means that, unlike traditional networks, you can buy from different vendors to quickly and easily add new services. It becomes much easier to differentiate your company from your competitors even if they are using the same core network or applications, because you can add and customize with no change to the core network.
Paving the Way
Deploying the basic network infrastructure is the first step to migrating to an IMS architecture. Since the first application pays for the core network infrastructure, adding the next application becomes a matter of adding a new server or new software, making the business case for new applications far easier to justify and quicker to deploy.
Say, for example, that you’re deploying POTS-style residential voice services. Since it is the first application that you’re putting on top of IMS, your business case should include the core network infrastructure. But after you’ve deployed that first service and you want to add a new application such as IPTV, there is no change to the core network. With the infrastructure in place, you can deploy new services quickly with little or no impact to your other applications, greatly improving your speed to market and lowering your deployment costs.
Phasing in IMS
Since a complete and immediate migration to IMS may not be a viable option for many operators, it makes sense to begin with selected projects and phase in a full IMS implementation over time. Let’s look at some different scenarios. Service provider A leaves its existing switch system in place and installs an IMS architecture on top of the switching network. In this scenario, the service provider uses the switch as the access point and uses IMS to provide applications. Service provider B takes the same approach using mobile phones and standard phones. In this instance, the IMS network resides on top of the mobile network, leveraging existing mobile handsets for access. In both examples, instead of waiting until they can implement a full end-to-end IP-enabled access network, operators are immediately gaining some of the advantages of IMS by taking a phased approach while maintaining existing access.
The IMS Opportunity
Still in its youth, IMS is a network architecture that is specifically designed for rapid and inexpensive introduction of new services. Like the Internet, IMS will grow and evolve over time. It provides some services today, and as the technology continues to advance, it will become even better. Many operators will likely deploy the system on a limited basis to start, choosing to migrate a few projects at a time. There is no one right or wrong way to implement IMS. But operators should begin to adopt IMS now rather than risk getting left behind and losing the competitive edge IMS can bring.
Because IMS allows service providers to quickly create, deploy and replace applications, it is the ideal architecture to rapidly create interesting new services and bundle multiple services into custom packages. With rising competition from wireless and wireline telcos, cable companies and non-traditional competitors such as Google and Yahoo!, leveraging the advantages of IMS—speed to market, low impact, reduced operational costs and operational efficiencies—can make all the difference to your bottom line.
Scott Hoffpauir is founder and CTO at Broadsoft (news - alert). For more information, please visit the company online at www.broadsoft.com.
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