IMS Forum in cooperation with the University of New Hampshire InterOperability Lab
October 18, 2007
Executive Summary
This report is about dispelling the myths and addressing the hype about the readiness of the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS). Despite conflicting information about the readiness and complexity of IMS, much has been done to demonstrate the practical realities of the technology. Vendors from around the world have come together and have built IMS networks with real applications running over them in a matter of days. As was the case with the evolution of the Internet and VoIP, where not all standards were immediately implemented, it is our opinion that the same will hold true for IMS; services, products, and standards will move in parallel.
Introduction
The IMS architecture is one of the most hyped developments in the networking industry. IMS promises to enable a cost-effective common platform for delivering converged IP services over wireline, cable, DSL, GSM, UMTS, 3G, Wi-Fi and WiMAX networks. But the industry is glutted with conflicting information from multiple sources about how ready the technology is and how beneficial it could be to the service providers. The purpose of the first IMS Report Card is to provide factual data from the IMS Forum Plugfests to clarify the state of IMS as a technology.
The UNH-IOL is a neutral third party laboratory; it does not endorse any products, services, technologies or forums. However, through the cooperation of the IMS Forum and the UNH-IOL, it has occurred to both sides that a wealth of data and objective information has been generated that would perhaps benefit an industry audience beyond the circle of engineers, product managers and QA technicians who attend the IMS Plugfests. The three IMS Forum Plugfests that have taken place in January, June, and October of this year have proved what before were only concepts and yielded a number of "proof points" for the health and readiness of IMS technology. While detailed results are under non-disclosure, this Report Card provides enough information to be a useful tool for assessing the technology and markets for IMS.
The 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. IMS applications and services comprise residential VoIP, entertainment including IPTV and gaming, IP Centrex / IP PBX and business Unified Communications including fixed-mobile converged services, videoconferencing and web-collaboration.
Together, the IMS Forum's member companies form a group of industry leaders, experts and visionaries focused on real-world, revenue-generating services and best practices for the IMS industry. The IMS Plugfests represent the industry's only event that verifies IMS Services interoperability.
The Plugfests, held every 3-4 months, bring together industry-leading IMS vendors from around the world, all of which build and test real IMS networks. It is the IMS Forum's vision that results from the Plugfests will serve as proof points for removing barriers to the adoption of IMS, and that the Plugfests will add industry-recognized certification for IMS applications and services interoperability.
The "IMS Report Card" below captures those proof points and matches them against the myths and realities clouding IMS's actual state of health and market-readiness. It is our intention that the snapshot that emerges provides a clearer and more comprehensive picture than has circulated until now - in so far as it can be revealed by the admittedly limited (but in many cases surprising) metrics and proof points obtained in the UNH-IOL lab during the first three rounds of IMS Forum Plugfest interoperability testing.
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