The economy is in a tailspin, but that might be good news for IMS and the converged, all-IP, anywhere/anytime, revenue-generating applications it can enable. For instance, the IMS/NGN Forum tells VON.com that there are definite “rumbles in the industry” about AT&T Inc. deploying more IMS in order to leverage its U-verse network for efficient content porting across its wired and wireline networks, while Verizon Communications Inc. is internalizing IMS as part of its roadmap for the same reason.
Perhaps most tellingly for the IMS ecosystem, the two American heavyweights aren’t alone in taking a look at extending their IMS plans. While IMS right now lives almost exclusively in core networks, with the access side and carrier interconnection pieces largely absent, economic-related macro-trends are emerging that are affecting carriers’ network transformation priorities across the board. For instance, CDMA-based mobile carriers moving to LTE (like Verizon Wireless, incidentally) will have a tough time without IMS stitching their disparate, non-standardized legacy equipment together with the new IP-based standard network to provide the same user experience to all subscribers.
Besides AT&T and Verizon, other telco hotspots include Telecom Italia in Italy and Telefonica in Spain, which both have teams researching IMS. British Telecom plc is another carrier to watch. Ultimately, deployment plans depend on where an individual carrier feels IMS can help it make money first.
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