The IMS (IP Multimedia Subsytem) revolution needs the support of the world's IT solutions companies and applications developers if it is to deliver the full potential that telecom carriers are looking for, believes Malcolm Wardlaw, one of the most senior next-generation networking executives at BT Group plc (NYSE: BT; London: BTA).
Wardlaw, BT's vice president of Mobility, Intelligence and Applications, says much of the telecom industry is now supporting IMS, and that the "next challenge is to persuade the IT solutions companies to develop products and applications" that will help the fixed/mobile convergence cause. "We need to get the likes of AOL and Sony on board," and open up the applications creation opportunities to as broad a range of third-party developers as possible.
"I'm worried about the volume of IMS applications being developed by the traditional telecom equipment suppliers. We need to leverage the capabilities of the wider IT community."
Wardlaw is one of the five principal architects for BT's 21st Century Network (21CN) and was the person who decided BT should base its next-gen core architecture on the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP)'s IMS standards. (See IMS Guide.)
The BT man will talk about why he made this decision, how BT will deploy IMS technology, and the types of services the carrier hopes to develop as a result, during a keynote address at Light Reading's upcoming one-day conference, IMS: Blueprint for an Applications Revolution, in London on December 8. (See Crunch Time for IMS.)
Wardlaw says the decision to go with IMS was made about two years ago, "and we've been actively working in ETSI's Tispan group ever since to help make the 3GPP's standard applicable to fixed networks and fixed/mobile convergence. We've been working hard to persuade other carriers and vendors go in the same direction and adopt IMS, and I think we've been relatively successful." (See Asian Heavyweights Tackle FMC.)
Wardlaw is responsible for the intelligence layer and mobility aspects of the 21CN, and is the driving force behind the new network's Intelligence Nodes, or I-nodes, where Ericsson AB (Nasdaq: ERICY) is the lead vendor partner. (See Ericsson to Bring Partners to 21CN Party and BT Unveils 21CN Suppliers.)
"We decided IMS looked like it was going to be the successful game in town" in terms of next-gen network developments, "and it was perfect for what we wanted to do as a fixed/mobile convergence operator. It deals perfectly with the nomadic nature of users."
— Ray Le Maistre, International News Editor, Light Reading
For a comprehensive look at how IMS is driving network convergence, check out IMS: Blueprint for an Applications Revolution, to be held at the Langham Hotel in London on December 8, 2005.
Hosted by Graham Finnie, Heavy Reading Senior Analyst, IMS: Blueprint for an Applications Revolution will ensure that attendees understand both the opportunities and threats the IMS revolution presents.
For more information, click here.