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48377 Fremont Blvd. • Suite 117 • Fremont, CA 94538
IMS Forum Main Line: 510-492-4030 • Fax: 510-492-4001 |
Fellow IMS Forum Members and Friends:
Can IMS services exist without proven interoperability?
IMS standards abound; some apply to 3G wireless, others to the fix line, and yet others to cable broadband. Meanwhile, the telecom market is going through a quiet revolution.
A new breed of consumers are buying personalized services allowing them to carry a single device that delivers voice, video and internet access, music download, location mapping services, and a camera or camcorder able to transmit high resolution pictures. Analysts estimate that by 2010, IMS will serve 58 million VoIP households globally of which half will be using FMC services. In turn, each household could have two to three individual FMC subscribers. In addition, blended IMS applications such as presence will add 66 million customers.
For service providers competing for these new sources of revenues, the world is becoming significantly more complex. Not only must service providers support a large variety of intelligent devices, but they must also put in place a robust IP infrastructure capable of supporting multimedia applications and services. In short, service providers will have to build and operate a multi-vendor IMS network. Hence, IMS interoperability becomes a key component in selecting IMS vendors.
For vendors, however, IMS service interoperability will not happen overnight. Achieving interoperability will require constant testing until all components work together.
The IMS Forum Plugfest provides an environment for fast testing and troubleshooting of all applications and services hosted on IMS Servers thus eliminating the complexity of IMS interoperability. Savings are self-evident; the entire testing process is greatly simplified. A single test plan is put together by IMS vendors and service providers, and all tests results are private and covered by corporate and individual NDAs. The return on testing investment results in lower R&D costs, time-to-market savings, revenue enhancement and a greater degree of interoperability since all issues are identified and fixed at one time.
In addition to these benefits, the IMS Forum Plugfest roadmap calls for the creation of a process for IMS services certification. More about this process and the upcoming Jan. 15-19 IMS Plugfest at the University of New Hampshire Interoperability Lab in Durham, N.H. can be found in the attached brochure and on our website at www.imsforum.org
Have a safe Holiday Season and get involved with IMS Forum Plugfest and Technical Working Groups for a successful 2007.
Sincerely,
Michael Khalilian
Chairman & President IMS Forum and
CTO & BoD – Pervasip Corp
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| IMS PLUGFEST |
The University of New Hampshire is leveraging its considerable experience in hosting plugfests for networking and telecommunications technologies as we prepare for the January IMS Plugfest. The event will take place in UNH IOL 7,500 sq ft facility, dedicated exclusively to plugfest events. The UNH team is working closely with the currently registered participating companies to facilitate early shipment and installation of the equipment and network. This work is being done in accordance with the newly finalized test plan, which has been developed by the IMS Forum Interoperability Study Group. The study group has leveraged contributions from IMS Forum members, and Lincoln Lavoie, UNH-IOL Senior Engineer, has served as the document editor.
Moving forward, the development of the document will continue as we prepare for this event and the future events which are currently in the planning stages. The goal here is to develop a complete testing solution, for the benefit of the complete IMS industry, network operators, service providers, and network equipment manufactures.
To learn more about the IMS Forum Plugfest event please click here.
IMS PLUGFEST FOR APPLICATIONS AND SERVICES
DATE: JANUARY 15 - 19, 2007
LOCATION: UNH INTEROPERABILITY LABORATORY
The IMS Forum will host its inaugural IMS Plugfest for Applications and Services, open to both IMS Forum members and non-members, January 15th - January 19, 2007. This unique testing event will enable the Forum to develop and certify an industry-recognized "stamp of approval" for IMS technology applications and services, with results and findings captured in a test plan that will serve the industry as a reference for interoperability.
This Plugfest, the first in a series of IMS Plugfest events designed to provide IMS certification, will provide an opportunity for application vendors and service providers to establish agreed upon requirements and criteria for IMS compliance.
CALL FOR PARTICIPATION
This Call for Participation is for inclusion in the Interoperability Test (IOT) Study Group, as part of the Technical Working Group of the IMS Forum. The Study Group will be responsible for the development of the test plan for the interoperability testing events. The deliverables will be a prose description of the event, including mission, organization, coordination, list of requirements, and expected outcomes.
To participate in the IMSF Plugfest Study Group, please contact Manuel Vexler, mvexler@imsforum.org.
PLUGFEST TESTING OPPORTUNITIES
The PlugFest test plan will be created by the IMS Forum Test and Interoperability Working Group. The group, which is open to all PlugFest participants, will work together with experts from the industry, including service and applications providers developing IMS building blocks, to create a comprehensive resource plan and related test scenarios for review. (Please note that additional information detailing the test plan and test cases will be made available as the plan is developed.)
"All participants will be required to sign an NDA"
MARKETING & SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
The IMS Plugfest represents a significant milestone in the Forum’s mission to accelerate the deployment of IMS by resolving critical interoperability issues, developing best practices, and showcasing standards-based architectures in the application layer, we are initiating an aggressive PR and marketing campaign to ensure maximum exposure and visibility.
Platinum Sponsorship
• Option to distribute an individual organizational press release
announcing participation in the Plugfest
• Media and industry analyst relations support
• Exposure via the Web and on-site signage
• Corporate branding and recognition on marketing collateral and technical
literature
• 20% discount on testing fees
Gold Sponsorship
• Company listing in a group press release
• On-site signage
• 10% discount on testing fees
For additional information regarding the plugfest testing event and sponsorship please contact IMS Forum.
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IMS Plugfest: Technical Overview
IMS Plugfests are designed to develop and test the interoperability of IMS components with real-world applications and services. The IMS Forum has developed a multi-step roadmap to support the program’s strategic vision. This roadmap calls for building an industry-wide consensus on how IMS standards apply to revenue-generating services. The technical focus of each IMS Plugfest will evolve as insights are gained, resulting in enhancements to the test plan and the test environment. While individual results are confidential, the collective insights will help establish guidelines and reference architectures, best practices and test scenarios to support IMS development.
IMS Plugfest Baseline
The IMS Forum Test and Interoperability Study Group is responsible for creating Plugfest test plans. The group is open to all Plugfest participants and works with leading service and applications providers to create a comprehensive resource plan and related test scenarios. The group also oversees the Plugfest roadmap which provide a high level view of future plugfest events consistent with the IMS Forum objective of providing an industry-wide validation and certification process for IMS applications and services as applicable to the “Services and Applications Layer” of the IMS architecture.
Each IMS application and service is tested against the following four test area:
I. "Reference Test Environment"
II. "Enhanced interoperability"
III. "Performance"
IV. "Security"
The IMS Forum will organize a series of Plugfest events building the reference test plan.
IMS Plugfest Roadmap
January’s IMS Plugfest will center on functionality of the reference IMS test network, starting with the 3GPP R6 IMS specifications. This includes testing services such as presence, instant messaging, hosted IP PBX, VoIP supplemental services, multimedia, and roaming across multiple networks such as Mobile, WiFi, Wireline and Cable.
During 2007 - 2008 the IMS Forum Plugfest will validate interoperability for a number of IMS applications and services such as, VoIP, IPTV, interactive video, multimedia mail, fixed-mobile convergence, presence, business services for vertical markets, online gaming, and video and audio download.
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| IMS Market: What are the Current Technological Trends? |
IMS Market: What are the Current Technological Trends?
By Olga Yashkova, Research Analyst, Frost & Sullivan
If IMS was just a buzz word in 2005, in 2006 it is becoming a reality. The interest toward IMS has grown tremendously due to the wide range of benefits and value-added features it has to offer. IMS market has been driven by the following technological trends lately. They are: IMS and fixed/mobile convergence, IMS in PSTN to VoIP migration, IMS for IP Centrex applications, A-IMS, IMS for cable and IMS for presence-based applications.
Chart 1 illustrates the current market trends for the IMS voice test & monitoring market.
IMS and Fixed/Mobile Convergence
IMS allows wireless and wireline carriers to use a common IP application platform to deliver new multimedia services that can be combined with legacy services across a number of different access technologies.
IMS in PSTN to VoIP Migration
IMS offers a solution to SP&Cs to make a switch from PSTN to VoIP functionality. There is no strict requirement in IMS to make all PSTN services available or identical, although the end users expect to have access to their favorite channels. IMS simulates a PSTN network from the legacy perspective by and IP network through a gateway. All PSTN services will remain available and identical to the ones in legacy, and hence end users will not be aware that they are not in the PSTN network.
IMS for IP Centrex Applications
IP Centrex is expected to represent a key source of service package, especially for enterprises in the IMS market. With security a chief concern in large enterprises, it is likely that these companies will persist with wireline services and that IP Centrex will become a major part of their voice foundation. When installed properly, it is anticipated to be a successful alternative for IP PBX solutions.
A-IMS
A-IMS is Verizon’s offering for the advanced next-generation network for wireless communications. It is an advanced IMS architecture (A-IMS) used to implement next-generation services in current networks. However, other than some suppliers related to Verizon, the A-IMS technology is still questionable and the impact of this technology upon the existing IMS can only be identified in the coming years. It is debatable that the A-IMS currently responds to more of Verizon Wireless’ specific requirements rather than being relevant to the prevailing common IMS scenario.
IMS for Cable
Cable providers in the communication industry have shown significant growth in the last year. With telcos competing with them at a massive scale, IMS will provide a key source for growth in the future. To win this competition, cable providers will be required to provide complex and successful solutions in voice quality; and IMS is an available resource in the market at present. The United States also has the presence of ‘cable labs’ that assist in incorporating this new IMS architecture, thereby increasing value to both the vendors and service providers in the marketplace. The cable community also released a new version of the packet cable 2.0 in April. The IMS architecture is expected to be beneficial for VoIP providers in the future. With these trends, cable for IMS is likely to establish a significant presence in the forthcoming years.
IMS for Presence-based Applications
‘Presence’ is a key phenomenon in the IMS architecture today. It is essential for IP users to understand the location and connection which they are currently attested to. It is a simple and easy method to understand the users’ availability and means of communication within any specified group. It also assists in gaining knowledge about the wireless or wireline network terminals that will be used during the interaction. It can also be customized by various different rules to obtain user-defined viewing information.
Research indicates that such knowledge about the contact before-hand can create better interaction between the users. IMS in presence-based applications is likely to develop more relationships and enhance the usage of IP telephony and other IP services in the future.
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| IMS FORUM NEWS |
IMSF Dates to Note
• January 19, 2007: Plugfest Media Day at UNH Interoperability Lab; hours to be announced
• January 23, 2007, 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM IMS Forum General/Member meeting at IMS Expo in Ft. Lauderdale (Details below)
The IMS Forum January 2007 Meeting is being held on Tuesday, January 23, 2007 at the Broward County Convention Center in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida (http://www.imsforum.org/events/upcoming_meetings.shtml).
IMS Forum January 07 Meeting Information:
Meeting Registration
If you would like to attend the meeting please send an email with your contact information to Debbie Hetland at dhetland@imsforum.org.
Meeting Logistics
• Date: Tuesday, January 23, 2007
• Time: 1pm - 4pm
• Location: Broward County Convention Center -
1950 Eisenhower Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
• Phone: (954) 765-5900
• Meeting Room: 209-210
• (Subject to change - Please check the front desk and reader board)
Agenda
• State of the industry – IMS (Guest speaker industry analysts)
• IMS Forum Plugfest review and future roadmap (Certification)
• IMS Forum Technical Working Group update and roadmap
• IMS Forum Media and Marketing update and initiatives
• IMS Forum industry partnerships update and roadmap
This meeting is being held in conjunction with the Internet Telephony Conference and Expo East / IMS Expo (http://www.tmcnet.com/voip/conference/) through our partnership with the TMC organizers.
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Partner News
Over the past few months, the IMS Forum solidified two industry partnerships of particular note, which will further our ability to drive the industry forward, and to serve as the Voice of IP Convergence. In October, the IMS Forum's application to the 3GPP (www.3gpp.org) for Market Representation Partner (MRP) was approved. In addition, the IMSF is pleased to announce its formal partnership with the Telemanagement Forum (www.tmforum.org).
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| IMS FORUM MEMBER NEWS |
IMS Forum Plugfest Test Plan and Roadmap Finalized
IMS Interoperability Event for Services and Applications Gains Widespread Industry Support and Momentum
FREMONT, Calif. (Dec 18, 2006)—The IMS Forum (www.imsforum.org), the industry association recognized as the voice of IP convergence, finalized the test plan for its first IMS Plugfest scheduled for Jan. 15 - 19, 2007, at the University of New Hampshire InterOperability Lab in Durham, N.H.
January’s Plugfest is the first in a series of IMS Forum Plugfests that will run through 2008. The events will establish industry-recognized certification for IMS products and services that have achieved the highest level of interoperability. IMS Plugfests are open to both IMS Forum members and non-members.
Applications and services to be tested include voice services, fix-mobile convergence, presence, instant messaging and hosted IP PBX operating across multiple networks such as Mobile, WiFi, Wireline and Cable broadband. The tests will also focus on building the reference IMS services test network for future IMS Plugfest events described in our roadmap. The roadmap’s overall objective is to provide an industry-wide validation process for IMS applications and services as applicable to the “Services and Applications Layer” of the IMS architecture.
“With the convergence of applications and services, achieving IMS interoperability is an important step toward providing next generation multimedia services to consumers and businesses,” said Ed Miller, Vice President of Advanced Network Systems for CableLabs.
“The new IMS networks will be defined by service innovation and interoperability,” said Akshay Sharma, Research Director for Carrier Network Infrastructure at Gartner. "Communications carriers are looking for innovation — and that means the freedom to choose best-of-breed hardware and software solutions. The IMS Forum Plugfest portfolio of service-level conformance testing should deliver the kind of compelling end-to-end interoperability testing that carriers demand."
“Finalizing the test plan for January’s event is a significant milestone and provides a solid foundation for our current IMS services interoperability in addition to future IMS Plugfests,” said IMS Forum Chairman and President and Pervasip CTO Michael Khalilian.
The certification program was developed by the forum’s test and interoperability study group of leading vendors and service providers. The group created a comprehensive plan that, for the first time, covered IMS services and applications running on IMS servers. The IMS Plugfest long-term strategic roadmap calls for building excellent test practices to accelerate the time to market and ROI.
The IMS Plugfest sponsors, test plan contributors and participants include among others:
Ditech Networks, Empirix, Ixia, InterOperability Lab/University of New Hampshire, GlobalTouch Telecom, Mu Security, NE Technologies, Inc./MARBEN, Reef Point, Sonus Networks, Tekelec, Tektronix, Trendium, Valid8, and VoX Communications.
About the IMS Forum:
The IMS Forum is a global, non-profit industry association devoted to interoperable IP Multimedia Subsystems services and solutions. Our mission is to accelerate the adoption of IMS through discussion and resolution of interoperability issues, and the development of standards-based IMS services residing in the IMS application layer. We provide consultancy to industry service providers and vendors on best practices and approaches for IMS rollouts and interconnectivity. The IMS Plugfest™ facilitates the industry-wide certification of applications and services interoperability. More information is available at www.imsforum.org.
IMS Forum & IMS Plugfest are trademarks of the IMS Forum, Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated. |
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| How to Join the IMS FORUM |
If you are interested in joining the IMS Forum, or in participating in any of the working groups or marketing programs, please contact IMSF Program Manager, Debbie Hetland, at dhetland@imsf.org, or visit: http://www.imsforum.org/member/how_to_join.shtml
Membership Benefits include:
• Verify and certify interoperability, reduce costs and accelerate time to market
• Participate in technical working groups focusing on service creation and
applications for IMS architecture framework as well as IMS deployment issues
• Gain additional visibility through the IMS Forum's Speakers Bureau, public
relations and marketing programs
• Member companies showcased at major telecom, cable, and wireless events in
North America, Asia, and Europe
• Receive current market and technology information through newsletters,
reports, and conferences
• Gain access to an informed professional network of industry consultants and
accredited experts
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