IP Multimedia Subsystems

IP Multimedia Subsystems

Group 3 (2:40pm)

Joel Amaro, Tina Hall, Mark Slavik, Jerrod Sandefur

Key Words: IMS, 3GPP, SIP, NGN

The world in which we are living in is always changing and new technologies that were not even dreamed of are being built and implemented in today’s evolving business world. IMS hopes to be a part of that evolution. IP Multimedia Subsystems is designed to build off of existing networks and seamlessly combine them with all of the other networks.

IMS is a next generation application and networking architecture that allows operators and service providers to use different underlying network structures to deliver all kinds of services. It is new technology trying to bridge the gap between existing companies computer systems. It will enable companies to easily expand their services, but will also allow for easier sharing of information in a more competitive market.

The user experience with new multimedia services must be as good as their original service or even better or they will go back to more reliable, but older, technology. An example would be to stop service with a company using IMS that you get a bundled multimedia package and going back to renting DVDs and watching digital cable. The challenge of providing seamless multimedia coverage that can be developed quickly and implemented is not a new concept. The vehicle to get the desired effect has just not been developed yet. That is not until now.

IMS aims to provide an architecture that allows support of a wide range of IP-based services over many different networks. It will use packet- and circuit- switched networks combining many different technologies. A user could, for example, pay for and download a video clip to a chosen mobile or fixed device and then use some of that material to make a multimedia message on many different networks and send it to many different people simultaneously.

`Basic standards for IMS implementation were given out in 2004, and are being planned if not implemented in a small capacity. All the standards are not fully developed yet and International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) are heavily involved in trying to fill in the gaps and add new capabilities. IMS is still untested in the “real world” of major carrier networks. However it is currently being tested in trial runs with small commercial services. Throughout 2005 full-scale deployment was planned for first generation IP Multimedia Subsystems hardware and software.

Recently there was a IMS Forum developed to help support and speed up the process of adopting IMS technology and find all of the different areas it can be applied.

IP Multimedia Subsystem started as a concept for 3GPP (3^rd Generation Partnership Project) mobile networks but is now spreading to NGN (next-generation networks) and is going to be a key in fixed/mobile convergence. It builds on the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), which has emerged as the crucial technology for controlling communications in IP-based NGN.

IMS is said to have two core domains: a circuit switched domain and a packet switched domain. Circuit switched domains use dedicated network resources whereas packet switched domains send the information in lots of individual “packets” of information over different networks and then reassembles them at the final destination.

IMS uses a layered architecture that is different than existing models in that it will move in a horizontal layer, rather than the traditional vertical silos in use now. The horizontal flow will have one platform on which multiple elements are engaged. The architecture also includes the capabilities to add, modify or delete sessions during a current multimedia session or a circuit-switched call. This opens up the possibility to blend services during a session. Possible blending could occur within many forms of multimedia services such as simultaneous voice, data, and multimedia sessions. A key feature of the IMS layered architecture is that call and session control are independent of the service layer and access network.

The ability to mix new and old services is a key factor in the success of IMS. It will be phased-in in some areas and others will simply plunge headfirst into the technology as it becomes available. IP Multimedia Subsystems will depend heavily on the loyalty of customers who enjoy all-inclusive multimedia packages to survive. Studies have shown that consumers like the all-inclusive packages and will be more likely to stay loyal as long as the system is working correctly. IMS is looking for a way to blend the billing and customer support into one helpful support center rather than the traditional multilevel approach. Instead of having multiple bills for one service package you will then receive one bill and continuous support all in one just like the service provided.

IMS aims to help build an environment where it is easy, fast, and efficient to develop and deploy many different applications and services. They can be used by themselves or in any combination imaginable. Some possibilities include: push-to services (push-to-talk, push-to-view, or push-to-video), multimedia advertising, multiparty gaming, audio/web/videoconferencing, and interactive voice response are just a few of the endless possibilities.

IP Multimedia Subsystems will make the competitive market thrive because it will allow smaller service providers to offer services closer to their customers wants and needs; whether they have their own network or not. It will be a key to extracting more value from the current networks.

If IMS achieves its promises, all networked applications will routinely and automatically run on any available access network- creating a far more convenient service environment for both customers and those trying to reach them. IMS promises a lot stemming from this new subsystem to connect practically all networks. It will prove to be cost effective for both the service providers and the consumers while giving both the highest level of satisfaction. If IMS can deliver a seamless blend of multimedia services we will truly be living in the “world of tomorrow” with infinite possibilities available to us at our fingertips.

References

http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id70728

http://telephonyonline.com/ims/technology/telcom_ims_no_panacea/index3.html

http://searchdatacenter.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,290660,sid80_gci1021614,00.html

http://www.telecommagazine.com/search/print.asp?Id=AR_1736

Questions about IMS (Group 3 afternoon)