Verizon Fears IMS Will ‘Widow’ Current Apps

To bridge what Verizon Wireless sees as a gulf
between current and future multimedia applications, the carrier today
unveiled Advances to IP Multimedia Subsystem, or A-IMS.

The new initiative expands on the standards-based IMS assumption
that multimedia, such as VoIP, has already leapt to SIP.

IMS helps carriers integrate multimedia, simplifying both new product
rollouts, as well as billing, security and policies.

Until
now much of its growth has happened on the wire-line side, say
analysts. Now, with Verizon looking to offer a suite of IP
applications based on its EV-DO service, IMS must address the needs
of wireless carriers.

Designed with the help of carrier infrastructure companies Cisco
, Nortel , Motorola , Lucent and Qualcomm , Verizon wrote A-IMS to keep many of its non-SIP
applications alive, according to analysts.

Although applauding the work done by the 3GPP2 and 3GPP standards
bodies, the carrier said “practical, real-world issues needed to be
addressed,” said Dick Lynch, executive
vice president and CTO of Verizon Wireless, in a statement.

“To not address the availability of non-SIP applications would widow
applications you love,” spokesperson Jeffrey Nelson told
internetnews.com.

Verizon lists IPTV, VoIP and video on demand as just some of the applications that
would be lost if it hadn’t made the enhancements.

The announcement marks Verizon’s first commitment to IMS, a move
already taken by Sprint and Cingular, according to XJ Wang, an analyst
with Ovum.

Wang said A-IMS is focused on service continuity from a carrier’s
perspective. While the standards bodies forming IMS assumed VoIP had
already moved to SIP, several non-SIP VoIP layers remain, according
to the analyst.

The new proposal, which Verizon will offer the standards
bodies, also addresses optimizing voice latency, managing voice
traffic and expanding the reach of IPTV to wireless, according to Wang, adding that most tier-1 carriers have committed themselves to IMS but deployment numbers still wane.

Ken Rehbehn, research
director for telephone infrastructure at Current Analysis, said wireless carriers “want the evolution to IMS to include the
applications that make revenue today,” said.

Right now, voice is the killer application for Verizon and other
carriers, he added.

Verizon defended the manner it formed its a-IMS proposal.

“The
standards process is clearly the next step for us,” said Nelson.
“This is an opportunity for us to jump start the standards process by
showing unanimity.”

Nelson said the current IMS specification is “so open as to be
difficult to implement in real world circumstances.” However, Verizon
has no interest in a closed, proprietary architecture, said the
spokesperson.

Although other carriers are unlikely to adopt Verizon’s A-IMS
proposal without modification, the plan is a starting point for
negotiation, said Rehbehn.

The collaboration with the five equipment vendors is simply a signal
Verizon wants to work with the companies who will make A-IMS happen,
he added.

Verizon says we may see the fruits of A-IMS by 2007-2008.