Abstract
IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) has moved from the realms of R&D labs and
commercial trials into a limited number of commercial deployments. Skepticism
pervades much of the industry regarding IMS. Without a doubt, there are
tremendous challenges, both technical and business, in deploying the IMS
technology commercially. However, with each real-world commercial rollout,
there is evidence that the promise of IMS will be realized and the business
case of IMS is solid.
IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS): The Commercial Rollout of Applications
evaluates a variety of IMS based applications. IMS applications are evaluated
on a world-wide basis with a case study perspective providing analysis and
conclusions for each application deployed by network operators. Each
application is defined and described, and real world commercial deployments
are analyzed. Each application is categorized as follows:
- Tier 1 IMS Applications: These applications have strong drivers for
initial IMS deployments
- Tier 2 IMS Applications: Appropriate for later stage IMS
deployments or a supporting application - a support role for other IMS
applications
Commercial deployments of the following IMS applications are cited:
- Fixed Mobile Convergence
- Presence
- Rich Calls (also known as Video Share)
- Push to X (also known as Push to Talk, POC, P2T)
- IPTV Interactions
- Consumer and Business VoIP
Target Audience
Network Operators: Network operators that are deploying IMS,
considering IMS, or have made the decision to deploy an IMS network
Service Providers: Service providers that are making plans to utilize
IMS core network to provide services to subscribers
Vendors: Hardware, software, and solution vendors for IMS and related
technologies such as Service Delivery Platforms (SDP)
Industry Analysts: Analysts covering the telecom and/or convergence
industries
Consultants: Consultants providing an advisory role to service
providers, network operators or vendors
Key Findings
- The benefits of IMS in terms of speed and flexibility in deploying
innovative new services, as well as controlling operational costs, are
important to operators, especially in relation to the increasing competition
from "over the top" and unbundled service providers. IMS will be the
technology that can blend multiple network services for subscribers.
- Many of the technical challenges of deploying IMS, however numerous and
onerous, are solvable problems over time. The "Walled Garden" problem of IMS
threatens to limit the value of IMS in the long term, but is not a problem for
the short term. It is a problem that the industry must address.
- Certain IMS applications will act as leading services drivers justifying
deployment of IMS while others provide merely an important supporting role
- While initially practical, alternative deployment architectures will be
succumbed by IMS
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