IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) is about to revolutionize the telecom market. According to ABI Research analyst Ian Cox, "Every Tier 1 service provider in fixed and wireless networks will announce SIP-based services running over IMS in the next six to twelve months." IMS began life as a wireless network architecture for adding IP-based services to existing circuit-switched voice. When Session Initiated Protocol (SIP) was introduced, IMS evolved to an open architecture: operators are not locked into a proprietary solution, nor are point solutions needed for each service. Soon fixed network providers began adapting it to IP networks. IMS allows a single device to use both fixed and wireless networks. IMS will allow many new services, including VoIP, to be offered simultaneously over SIP-enabled networks. Vendors can develop applications and equipment knowing they will be fully interoperable. Services can be tried quickly and discarded if unpopular. A single database holds all subscriber information, lowering operating costs for multiple services.
TMT Market Research and Analysis