TMCnet News

NEC Introduces IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) Migration Path for North American Operators
[February 25, 2008]

NEC Introduces IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) Migration Path for North American Operators


HERNDON, Va. --(Business Wire)-- NEC Corporation of America (NEC), a premier provider of network, IT and identity management solutions, today introduced its Service Convergence Integrated Platform (SCI-P), a new converged multimedia and SIP-based solution for the carrier market in North America. SCI-P consolidates and leverages the comprehensive power of NEC's field-proven SIP server, and enables operators to effectively and promptly deliver value-added VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) and multimedia services to create new revenues. Additionally, the new platform ensures a fast, easy migration path to an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS)-based Next Generation Network (NGN); reducing the initial investment required for NGN services.



Targeted toward the mid-tier carrier market, SCI-P is a 'starter' framework for IMS, and bundles carrier-class call processing quality, blade-server architecture, an Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)-based SIP server, an operations, maintenance, billing and provisioning server and service enablers into a compact, yet highly scalable all-in-one "light-IMS" platform. Operators can utilize the new platform to rapidly develop and provide both basic and advanced VoIP and value-added multimedia services, including presence, personalized services, interactive gaming and IP messaging, to name a few.

NEC's SCI-P ensures a clear migration path to the full IMS platform through a simple software upgrade of the SIP server at the services layer of the network. The software platforms are critical to NEC's IMS ecosystem; which incorporates NEC and third party hardware and software components to support IMS signaling, call control, and enhanced applications.


"To move to an IMS-ready environment, we believe operators should focus on three core operating principals -- keep it small, keep it simple and keep it fast," said Nick Satomi, vice president, NEC Corporation of America, Carrier Solutions. "The 'small' focuses on reduced CAPEX and OPEX; the 'simple' refers to easy migration; and the 'fast' addresses time-to-market in introducing new revenue generating services."

"The industry continues to make progress on the journey towards IMS architectures," said Elisabeth Rainge, director, Network Software, IDC. "The complexity of IMS, along with the need to fit with individual service provider systems, requires solutions with the flexibility to ease the transition to SIP and IP infrastructures. NEC is working toward this effort with the introduction of its 'light-IMS' migration strategy."

NEC offers a full line up of software solutions for its IMS product suite.

-- NC7000-software product series - At the services layer, NEC's Service Delivery Platform (SDP) provides multimedia services (beyond legacy telephone services) to generate new carrier revenue streams. Examples include: IP Messaging, Web-Phone book with Presence, among other services.

-- NC9000-software product series - Also at the services layer, the NC9000 series houses the core IMS database functions, including the Home Subscriber Server (HSS), Serving Call Session Control Function (S-CSCF), Proxy Call Session Control Function (P-CSCF) and/or the Interrogating Call Session Control Function (I-CSCF), among other key IMS functions.

-- NC5000-software product series - At the transport layer, the NC5000-series offers Quality of Service (QoS) Control and Access Authentication, including the Resource and Admission Control Subsystem (RACS) and Network Attachment Subsystem (NASS) functions.

Satomi continued, "We have already delivered the world's first commercial IMS service. This experience lends us the global expertise needed to help operators seamlessly migrate existing infrastructure to a 'future-proofed' IMS-based NGN. Our goal is to leverage our global skill-set and knowledge to assist U.S. carriers through their transition plans to an IMS framework; yielding greater revenue opportunities through new service delivery initiatives."

Service Delivery Platforms for Third Party Call Processing

For large carriers that have already deployed IMS-ready/compliant core call processing functionality, NEC will offer its NC7000-software series as a standalone, standards interface-based SDP to deliver new value-added, revenue-generating services to market, immediately.

With the NC7000-series, carriers can simplify procedures for rapid service creation and fast service provisioning by providing network service function as an open API (application programming interface); based on Java/XML and standard Parlay X.

General Availability

For carriers looking for an immediate IMS migration offering, NEC will provide its NC7000, NC9000 and NC5000-series platforms by CY Q1-2008. NEC's complete SCI-P solution will be offered in a phased approach; with its non-carrier grade version available now, followed by its carrier grade version, which will be available in CY Q2-2008.

About NEC Corporation of America

NEC Corporation of America is a leading technology provider of network, IT and identity management solutions. Headquartered in Irving, Texas, NEC Corporation of America is the North America subsidiary of NEC Corporation, and delivers technology and professional services ranging from server and storage solutions, IP voice and data solutions, optical network and microwave radio communications to biometric security, virtualization and digital cinema solutions. NEC Corporation of America serves carrier and both SMB and large enterprise clients across multiple vertical industries. For more information, please visit www.necam.com.

NEC is a registered trademark of NEC Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Other product or service marks mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners. (C) 2008 NEC Corporation of America.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]