IMS Forum-OPASTCO Partnership Brings Unprecedented Focus to North American Telecommunications Providers and Ensuring Efficient Deployment of IMS Services
DENVER, CO, October 12, 2007 - The IMS Forum®, the industry's only association dedicated to IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) application and service interoperability certification, announced today that it has partnered with the Organization for the Promotion and Advancement of Small Telecommunications Companies (OPASTCO). The IMS Forum and OPASTCO will collaborate to help ensure that customers served by small and rural telecommunications companies have access to converged IP services over wireline, 3G, Wi-Fi and WiMAX networks.
The IMS Forum's goal is to create a venue for resolution among industry leaders to enable the expedient deployment of IMS based VoIP, IPTV, Wireless Internet and Multimedia everywhere. OPASTCO's primary role in the IMS Forum will be to provide its technical working groups with data pertaining to small and rural telecommunications companies' challenges as they prepare to meet their customers' demands for converged services.
"The IMS Forum technical working groups welcome the partnership with OPASTCO," said Michael Khalilian, IMS Forum Chairman and President. "OPASTCO's participation in the development of next generation networks and IMS applications and services represents an important milestone for telecommunications providers and IMS industry."
"OPASTCO members are the best providers of broadband in their service areas. Many of these companies face economic challenges to deploy telecommunications services in their high-cost communities," OPASTCO President John Rose stated. "Developing solutions to rural digital convergence challenges is important to ensuring our members remain the best providers of broadband and broadband services in rural America. Our alliance with the IMS Forum will help expedite solutions for our members."
The IMS Forum is open to all organizations and companies developing solutions for IMS. For more information contact info@imsforum.org or visit http://www.imsforum.org/
About the IMS Forum
The IMS Forum® is a global, non-profit industry association devoted to interoperable IP
Multimedia Subsystems services and solutions. IMS Forum's mission is to accelerate the
interoperability of IMS applications and services, enabling enterprise and residential consumers to quickly benefit from the delivery of quadruple play voice, video, internet and mobile services over broadband via cable, mobile and fixed networks. The IMS Forum is the creator and organizer of IMS PlugfestTM, the industry's only event focused on IMS services interoperability verification and certification. Through its organized Plugfests, working group interaction, and other activities, forum members are able to develop cost-effective technical frameworks for converged IP services over wireline,
cable, 3G, WiFi and WiMAX networks. Plugfest III will be held October 15-19, 2007 by the IMS Forum at the UNH Interoperability Lab. An IMS Open House open to the public will be held on Oct 18 at 1pm. at the same location. For additional information or to join the IMS Forum and the IMS Plugfest, please visit www.IMSForum.org
About OPASTCO
OPASTCO represents more than 525 small, independently owned, local telecommunications companies, serving primarily rural areas of the United States and Canada. OPASTCO membership includes both commercial companies and cooperatives, which range in size from fewer than 100 to 100,000 access lines and collectively serve more than 3.5 million customers. OPASTCO represents rural telecommunications interests before federal regulatory bodies and provides educational programs and publications. The association also has an affiliate non-profit, the Foundation for Rural Education and Development. Visit the OPASTCO Web site at http://www.opastco.org/.
For further information contact:
IMS Forum PR
Cathy Clarke
617-527-2089
OPASTCO
Martha K. Silver
202-659-5990