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By
Cassandra Millhouse
The Significance of IMS
The IP Multimedia Subsystem, IMS, is an architectural framework and a standard that’s gaining in popularity. According to OSS Observer, up to 150 service providers are currently engaged in IMS projects. IMS offers a standards-based approach that promises to truly allow the economical construction and delivery of new services from “lego-block” components over any technology to any device. The need to support regular and ongoing development, delivery and assurance of high volumes of new services – and to do it conveniently, economically, creatively and commercially – is critical and will remain so in the foreseeable future.
How Does IMS Affect Operations?
It has been suggested that IMS limits the need for OSS because many operational aspects of service management will be taken care of automatically in the network. However, as more service providers engage in IMS trials and start to go to market with IMS-based services, evidence is proving the opposite. The particular requirements of IMS actually make OSS more necessary, not less, to the delivery of IMS-based services.
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The particular requirements of IMS actually make OSS more necessary, not less, to the delivery of IMS-based services. |
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network technology. Potentially, this gives service providers greater flexibility to take a wider range of slightly differentiated services to market – since change can be made to services, without corresponding change to the network. This also allows them to appeal more directly to more tightly defined market segments in order to increase their market shares. Flexibility comes from the ability to construct different options in a “plug and play” service-style environment. However, this also means that demand is less easily forecast
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In particular, OSS needs to be fully automated—able to handle those issues through interrelated planning, fulfillment and assurance functions. If it isn’t, it is simply not possible to make money from IMS implementation. According to a 2007 report from Frost & Sullivan’s Stratecast practice, “IMS success cannot be achieved until a solid information management strategy and OSS/BSS alignment have been put into place.”
IMS vs. Existing Protocols
From an operations perspective, there are three key differences between IMS and existing protocols: abstraction, distribution and complexity.
IMS abstracts services from the underlying
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by traditional means. In particular, managing peaks in activity becomes less predictable from outside. Therefore, the ability to manage quality of service (QoS) must be inherent in operations processes, rather than a separate, discrete activity.
Under IMS, it’s possible for customers to order and receive activated services directly, providing near-instant gratification. IMS makes it easier for customers to order a service directly to the device where the service will be consumed, which helps promote greater consumption of services. (Why not order another video when it’s so easy and so immediate?) However, ease of use for the consumer, and for product managers who dream up new services, corresponds to rising complexity in the network and in operations.
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