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NexTone IMX converges 3G, VoIP, and IMS networks
June 7, 2005
Capitalizing on the growing carrier interest in Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC), NexTone Communications introduced its new IP Multimedia Exchange (IMX) platform, designed to enable secure and seamless interconnectivity between 3G mobile networks, voice over IP (VoIP) networks, and networks based on the IP Multimedia Subsystems (IMS) service delivery framework. NexTone's IMX provides a cost-effective way to manage the rapid growth of traffic between wireline carriers and 3G mobile operators while enabling new business models for network and service expansion. Now wireline VoIP carriers can transparently exchange minutes with mobile carriers, deliver FMC services, and extend the reach of their networks by peering with mobile operators. The NexTone IMX can also interconnect multiple IMS networks and facilitate the exchange of multimedia traffic between service providers.
"Today service providers are looking for cost-effective, easy-to-deploy strategies to turn real-time IP service delivery and wireline/wireless convergence into reality," said Dan Dearing, vice president of marketing at NexTone. "The biggest challenge a carrier faces with IMS is providing secure connectivity and consistent quality of service (QoS) to roaming subscribers. The NexTone IMX platform provides a standards-based approach to 3G-VoIP-IMS interconnectivity, and can be used with the NexTone Real-time Session Manager (RSM) to deliver the service quality that every user requires -- for any real-time application, across any IP network."
Internetworking IMS Networks for Secure and Seamless User Roaming
NexTone's IMX platform operates at the network edge to provide seamless connectivity between IMS networks and enable subscriber roaming. When used in conjunction with NexTone's RSM, which provides call session control and application awareness, the IMX can use dynamic session information to support QoS for any real-time application spanning converged VoIP and IMS networks. Dynamic session information allows for the advanced allocation of network resources for specific applications and specific devices, and can be combined with policy information to perform authentication, authorization, and network admission control. Working with the NexTone RSM, the IMX can also control bandwidth usage, call rate, and call capacity at the network ingress and egress.
The NexTone IMX incorporates specialized session awareness to adapt to the requirements of the IMS framework. Key features include network-based policy and session routing which provides end-to-end control of real-time sessions across networks; advanced SIP features to support mobile gaming, chat and other real-time applications as subscribers roam between networks; transcoding of wireline codecs on VoIP networks to wireless codecs on IMS networks; and IPv4 to IPv6 network address translation to provide seamless connectivity between VoIP and IMS networks. The NexTone IMX also provides secure connectivity to IMS networks using intelligent identity mechanisms, including access control lists, SIP/TLS certificates, and DNS checks that authenticate subscribers and protect against SIP security threats such as spam over internet telephony (SPIT) and spam by instant messenger (SPIM).
"The point of IMS architectures is to enable more applications to be delivered to more users more simply and cost effectively," said Deb Mielke, principal analyst at Treillage Network Strategies. "If carriers expect to make money from value-added applications they must be able to control them end-to-end. The NexTone IMX platform provides the functionality carriers need to reap that value in a straightforward implementation that has been well proven in VoIP networks."
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