IP Multimedia Subsystem

IMS or IP Multimedia Subsystem:

IMS consists of a single, converged architecture for wireline and wireless service providers, and the systems integration necessary to deliver high-quality IP multimedia services for and between any wireline and wireless end-user devices. In the long term, all telecom services (voice, data, internet and video services) will be provided through IMS. In-Stat predicts that the migration towards IMS will be a gradual evolution where service providers initially deploy overlay networks to test new services and the new architecture. Bellsouth tries to go ahead of this race, and takes the most significant commitment by a service provider to a long-term IMS strategy. A $400m- worth request for proposal is pending.

GSMA is conducting interoperability tests with operators and vendors and announced that tests showed that carriers were able to achieve and demonstrate successful IMS inter working and hub-to-hub connectivity.