Despite the daily hoopla surrounding 5G, carriers continue to invest heavily in 4G-related technologies, especially IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem). Although it doesn't have the mystique of 5G, it more than makes up for it by being currently available and not just a faint promise of what may or may not actually happen.

IMS is that faithful technology that had its heyday ten years ago; the faithful tech partner that -- despite its current lack of hype or status as revolutionary -- is, nevertheless, spawning a significant number of VoLTE announcements.

Tech Mahindra, for instance, recently utilized Oracle's IMS technology to create a voice-over-LTE (VoLTE) managed services package for wireless operators that want to quickly add that capability to their offerings. (See Oracle, Tech Mahindra Deliver VoLTE-aaS.)

ZTE, meanwhile, is helping Telefónica build a regional, virtual IMS platform in Latin America by supplying NFV infrastructure and virtual network function (VNF) elements that will be used to provision VoLTE. (See ZTE Scores NFV Deal at Telefónica.)

Likewise, vendors are positioning themselves in the IMS market. Metaswitch recently acquired OpenCloud, an application server company, to add functionality to its virtualized IMS core and enter the VoLTE market as a pure-play software provider. (See Metaswitch Eyes VoLTE With OpenCloud Buy.)

As the number of IMS deployments continues to grow, the need for testing and monitoring of these solutions will be paramount. There are a number of IMS testing solutions listed in Testapedia, including:

More than 700 companies and 800 products are now listed in Testapedia, making it the telecom industry's most comprehensive resource for all things related to testing and measurement. Some 2,400 test and measurement professionals also are now registered with Testapedia, giving them access not only to vendor and product information but also to the latest industry news and research from Heavy Reading.

To get your company listed in Testapedia, go to the Get Listed tab on the site. To join the growing ranks of the virtualization community and get access to executive summaries of Heavy Reading's research, go to the Register Now tab.

— Denise Culver, Director of Online Research, Heavy Reading

CALLING ALL TEST, ASSURANCE AND MONITORING COMPANIES:
Make sure your company and services are listed free of charge at Testapedia, the comprehensive set of searchable databases covering the companies, products, industry organizations and people that are directly involved in defining and shaping the telecom test and measurement industry.