In order to stay competitive, telecommunications operators must work hard to increase the value of their existing assets while also boosting profitability and payoff for new investments. This complex balance also involves efficiently managing new portfolios of voice, data and content services.
A variety of potential roadblocks challenge telecom operators to walk the tightrope of today’s market. Network architectures consisting of disparate technologies is one such challenge. Often, as a result of mergers and acquisitions, operators find themselves saddled with disjointed and redundant networks built on inefficient technology.
So what’s a telecom operators to do? Many are investing in updates to network technology in order to create architectures that are more adaptable, flexible and efficient. IP
Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) promises to deliver the epitome of such streamlined networks.
IMS
is changing the way telecom operators develop, deploy and support their services. The technology’s key advantage is that it enables the reuse of applications on any type of network—whether it be broadband, wireline, Internet or wireless. These services can be developed once and then deployed in a variety of ways to a variety of different customer bases, such as consumers, businesses and industry-specific users.
Choosing the right IMS solution for migration to this new technology is critical. The decision involves not only the technology itself but support services from the vendor and availability of testing solutions in order to keep the IMS network and services running effectively.
In a recent white paper, HP and Tekelec (News - Alert) addressed how their joint IMS solution meets the needs of telecom operators. The two companies developed what they call the HP-Tekelec Open IMS Solution as a complete package for migrating to IMS and ensuring that new network architectures operate efficiently once deployed.
The HP-Tekelec Open IMS Solution is based on the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) basic IMS reference architecture. This architecture has also been adopted by other standards bodies including Telecoms & Internet Converged Services & Protocols for Advanced Network and CableLabs (News - Alert).
The solution offered by HP and Tekelec consists of a core with four supporting pillars based on the following products from the two companies:
- Tekelec TekCore Session Manager x-CSCF (session control)
- EAGLE 5 ISS (session control)
- HP OpenCall HSS (profile management)
- HP OpenCall HLR (profile management)
- HP OpenCall Media Resource Control and Processing functions (media processing)
The solution also addresses service enablers, network applications, client applications and management. In creating the solution, HP and Tekelec made it their mission to address first of all the necessity for a smooth service transition when migrating to IMS. The two companies believe the best way to ensure this happens is use of SS7
signaling control with IMS SIP session control. HP’s OpenCall HLR and OpenCall HSS deliver this functionality.
Session management is also an integral part of any IMS architecture. This is where Telekec’s TekCore Session Manager comes into play. This ATCA-based platform operates at the IMS core to support multiple applications in a unified manner. This product complies with Session Initiation Protocol (News - Alert) (SIP
) standards. By sticking to industry standards, Tekelec’s TekCore prevents the formation of IMS islands; service parity is ensured regardless of network technologies.
TekCore offers a variety of advantages, including: carrier-grade reliability, flexible/scalable application management, flexible coordination of services, SIP signaling router functionality, and bridging of TDM/NGN/IMS domains.
Once deployed, the HP-Tekelec Open IMS Solution simplifies the management of next-generation services. This means providing the tools necessary for ensuring end-to-end service delivery. The solution is also designed to help providers achieve the following important goals:
- Speed up time-to-market for new, revenue-generating services
- Ability to leverage an open solution
- Horizontal expansion of networks and services
- Maintain flexibility for future changes
To learn more about the HP-Tekelec Open IMS Solution, please visit the IMS channel on TMCnet.com, brought to you by HP.
Mae Kowalke previously wrote for Cleveland Magazine in Ohio and The Burlington Free Press in Vermont. To see more of her articles, please visit Mae Kowalke’s columnist page. Also check out her Wireless Mobility blog.
Internet Protocol (IP) | X |
| IP stands for Internet Protocol, a data-networking protocol developed throughout the 1980s. It is the established standard protocol for transmitting and receiving data
in packets over the Internet. I...more |
Signaling System 7 (SS7) | X |
| SS7 is a packet-switched network used to control the circuit-switched PSTN-Public Switched Telephone network. We will explore the different types of SS7 messages convert virtual telephone numbers lik...more |
IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) | X |
| This shows the structure of the IMS architecture where potential Applications Servers optimize content as well bandwidth. In Scenario Y, companies may provide Feature Servers Content Manager or Multi...more |
Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) | X |
| SIP is the real-time communication protocol for VoIP. SIP is a signaling protocol for Internet conferencing, telephony, presence, events notification (emergency calling) and instant messaging.
SIP...more |
Call Session Control Function (CSCF) | X |
| CSCF is a feature of IMS architecture where potential AS-Applications Servers optimize content as well bandwidth....more |
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