The IMS Forum Completes Plugfest 4 and Prepares for NGN M-Play Plugfest 5

By Michael KhalilianThe IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) and the NGN (Next Generation Networks (News - Alert)) Forums, dedicated to interoperability and certification of M-Play, multimedia services and applications for wireless, wireline and cable broadband over IP networks, has concluded a successful testing at the IMS Forum Plugfest 4 UNH-IOL (News - Alert) at the University of New Hampshire.

More than 15 companies participated in IMS Plugfest 4, including Intel, HP, Amdocs, Acision, Alpha Networks, Aricent, Data Connection Ltd., Empirix, Mavenir Systems, Mu Security, NextPoint (News - Alert) Networks, Radvision, Shenick Network Systems, Sonus Networks, Starent Networks, Tekelec and UNH-IOL. IMS Magazine was also the media sponsor.

The IMS Forum’s (News - Alert) Plugfest 4 was the fourth in a series of events designed to deliver IMS and NGN interoperability and certification. Tests included the following:

•  IMS-AKA signaling was successfully performed for mutual authentication of UEs and the network. After authentication, end-to-end calls were successfully completed using IMS-SIP. This was performed with combinations of UE1-UE2, UE1-UE3, and UE2-UE3. There are two industry significant achievements here: The wide support and interoperability for IMS-AKA and the ability to complete calls between different brand UEs through a best-of-breed multi-vendor network.

•  For the first time, the IMS Forum PlugFest topology included an IMS-compliant Charging/Billing System (OSS/BSS). A P-CSCF and S-CSCF that supported the Rx interface to the Charging Function (CDF) was included in the topology. Bills were produced for calls completed through this topology. This is a major milestone since the charging/billing systems are a major component for network operators to deploy IMS.

•  Two P-CSCF vendors and one UE vendor demonstrated interoperability for SIGCOMP for the first time. This is a feature that is not required by IMS but is highly-desirable to network operators.

IMS is becoming the industry standard for cost-effective delivery of new and existing multimedia IP services. Many telecom service providers are finding it difficult, if not impossible, to deliver the multimedia services their customers want in an environment without open, standards-compliant, interoperable solutions. This is what SPs are demanding from their vendors, and they are no longer willing to wait.

"While a number operators continue to assess the network cost saving and efficiencies IMS delivers and the services it enables, poor interoperability across equipment from different vendors has been slowing down wide adoption of IMS services. This plugfest was yet another step forward in the development of truly interoperable IMS networks and was particularly significant because of its focus on consumers’ value and the systems necessary for managing, charging and billing for services delivered in an IMS network. The completion of this plugfest could be seen as a significant development and is likely to lead to more open IMS ecosystems," said Malik Kamal-Saadi, Principal Analyst at Informa Telecoms & Media (News - Alert), and author of the IMS Services Report.

The IMS/NGN Plugfest 5 is scheduled for June 2 through 6, with testing to include M-Play (Multimedia Play), Policy Control (service quality assurance / quality), User Profiles and Configuration (HSS, Sh, Cx), Scalability, and additional areas of OSS/BSS Billing/Charging.

The IMS/NGN Forum is a global telecommunications industry association devoted to interoperable IP Multimedia Subsystem (News - Alert) (IMS) and Next Generation Networks (NGN) services delivery architecture and solutions. IMS Forum’s mission is to accelerate the interoperability of IMS and NGN services and to enable enterprise and residential consumers to benefit fully from the delivery of multimedia mobile and fixed services over broadband cable, wireless, wireline and fiber networks. The IMS Forum is the creator and organizer of the IMS Plugfest™ and NGN Plugfest™, the industry’s only event focused on verification and certification of IMS and NGN services interoperability through the IMS Certified™ and NGN Certified™ program. Through its organized plugfests, technical working group interactions and other activities, forum members are able to develop cost-effective technical frameworks for converged IP services over wireline, cable, 3G, 4G, WiFi (News - Alert), WiMAX and femtocell broadband networks. For additional information or to join the IMS Forum, NGN Forum and the IMS Plugfest, NGN Plugfest, please visit www.IMSForum.org.

Michael Khalilian (News - Alert) is the President and Chairman of the IMS Forum and CTO, Pervasip Corp.

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