By Brad Niven of Axiom Systems

Turning all-IP networks into
all-new revenues

Introduction – why IMS?

IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) is a protocol for the definition and delivery of services within an all-IP network environment. In its early days it was known as ‘All IP’ ,and even now the two terms are often treated synonymously.

IMS is underpinned by SIP (session initiation protocol), the building block of IMS services, which manages interactive communication services such as voice or video calls, and event-based communications such as SMS or Instant Message equivalents. Common use of the SIP protocol allows different types of IMS-enabled equipment such as mobile phones, PCs, TVs or gaming units to interact and to gain access to IMS services.

Originally proposed and driven by the cellular industry (through the 3GPP standards body) as a standard for added-value services, IMS has quickly gained traction among fixed network operators, who see it as a viable template for rapidly creating new services to be carried over their own next generation IP delivery networks. Arguably, it has become the first truly fixed and mobile convergent standard.

Because IMS supports the creation and delivery of service across any IP network, it is widely regarded as a vehicle for service convergence (combining services such as voice, video, data and TV) and for network convergence (combining fixed and wireless access to a largely common IP backbone). IMS is therefore an enabler and a driver of the convergence of different communication service provider (CSP) types within the industry. It is creating opportunity – for formerly single technology carriers to become ‘whole solution providers’ - and threat, as it opens the door to ‘insurgent’ IP players (such as ISPs, search engines and major content organizations) to become the primary aggregator and supplier of services and content to the customer. Few players want to be just the ‘bit pipe’ in this picture.

IMS will support existing services as standard features, such as messaging and voice calls, allowing continuity of service, but will add new components, such as presence (visibility of the status of other subscribers), to allow better ways of using old ones. Importantly, however, it will also provide a flexible framework for the development of new services. As a standardized protocol it will allow fast service development and rollout. This is important not only in terms of direct costs, but also because it reduces the risk of failure and encourages the kind of experimentation which will lead to new revenue. To put it crudely, CSPs will be able to throw much more mud at the wall and improve their chances of some of it sticking.  And because development is relatively cheap, a smaller number of subscribers will be needed to make a new service commercially viable. The service creation environment moves to something which has more in common with that which supported the success of i-Mode in Japan (still the world’s only example of real success in mobile content) – a great many very cheaply developed services with a much shorter and faster lifecycle than traditional telecom services and much more involvement from third parties.

This capability also creates a challenge for CSPs. In a service environment which will certainly become more volatile and responsive, their own service creation environment must allow quick response to ideas coming both from their own marketing divisions and those of competitors.

Key provisioning and activation challenges in summary:

• Abbreviated service lifecycle; fast development, test and rollout and potentially short commercial life.
  
  
• Very fast provisioning and activation of service. If a customer wants, for example, a content package or to set up a video-conference, they will want it now, not at some future date.
  
  
• Concurrent or precisely sequenced activation of service on IMS network components, on multiple access networks (mobile, fixed broadband), on remote networks and on application or content servers which could be managed by the carrier or by a third party organization.
  
  
• Interaction with the service loop to manage customer self-provisioning in real time
  
  
• Interface with AAA functionality to authorize service ahead of delivery
  
  
• Move from a connection-based architecture to a service-based architecture, or, to put it another way, a swing in emphasis from networks to IT as an enabler of service. IMS will be less about connecting customers than with providing them with IT-based service over their existing broadband connections. In developed markets at least, most customers will already be broadband/IP enabled. Allowing customer self-service will be key, both to minimize cost of service and to meet customer expectations.