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02.12.07
IMS SIP: For Widespread Next Generation Networks
 By
Adi Paz
Today's telecommunication arena is rapidly moving towards next-generation networks (NGNs) that offer ubiquitous, converged services over converged voice, video, data and mobile networks.
Until very recently, the prevailing telecommunications paradigm was based on multiple types of networks, each serving different types of applications.
While IP-related technology holds the most promise for meeting the requirements of NGNs, the use of the global Internet is quite limiting. The IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) is an architecture that allows delivery of identical services to fixed and mobile customers - regardless of whether they are connected through the packet-switched (PS) or circuit-switched (CS) network. IMS-based services enable communication in a variety of modes - including voice, text, location, presence, messaging, pictures and video, or any combination of these.
In addition to service creation and delivery, IMS handles call control issues, and can easily be adapted to serve roaming subscribers. The IMS architecture is inherently capable of bridging between separate networks, and will ultimately be used for all types of networks, such as wireline Voice-over-IP (VoIP) networks, WiMax wireless networks and packet cable networks.
The expansion and acceptance of IMS is an indication of just how important this technology is to the future of unified communications. Many organizations which are responsible for network standardization are currently adopting IMS technology. The ramifications for the industry are significant, and the entire telecommunications industry is gearing up for the imminent widespread implementation of IMS.
Based on a Strong Signaling Foundation: Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) IMS technology was originally developed for the cellular arena to define how to set up advanced services for 3G cellular networks and grew out of a group of standards created by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP).
IMS is a Media-over-IP network and uses the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), originally standardized by the IETF, as its base signaling protocol. The 3GPP chose SIP as its base protocol because previous telecom signaling protocols failed to comply with all IMS requirements. Because SIP is an Internet protocol, it can accommodate convergence, and has the potential to meet all the needs of the IMS architecture. For instance, SIP can signal between different network entities, including endpoints and servers.
In IMS, each network server has its own role, in contrast to traditional networks where a central office switch does it all, including call control and service control. In addition, SIP uses Internet extensibility mechanisms. A service provider with IMS networks initially may only have a small number of subscribers. As the subscriber base grows, IMS networks must be easily scalable to add more subscribers. SIP is also very flexible, and uses standard extensions. SIP's flexibility enables IMS networks to adapt and change signaling protocols to meet dynamic market needs. Finally, SIP provides adequate security, with both internal and external security mechanisms.
Continue reading this article.
About the Author:
A longer 25 page version of this white paper is available at http://www.radvision.com/Resources/WhitePapers/ims_sip.htm Adi Paz is a Senior Product Marketing Director at RADVISION, a leading provider of video network infrastructure and developer tools for unified visual communications over IP, 3G, and emerging next-generation networks.
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