Is your company ready for IMS?
IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) defines the functional architecture for a managed IP-based network. It aims to provide a means for operators to create an open, standards-based network that delivers integrated multimedia services to increase revenue, while also reducing network CAPEX and OPEX.
Until recently IMS was mainly the province of fixed-line operators but now it is essential to the success of mobile and fixed operators who are losing revenue from traditional sources. Operators look at IMS and similar solutions because they need to start generating more revenue.
According to a research by ABI Research (2008), IMS is expected to provide mobile telephone operators with a forecasted $300 billion in extra revenue over the next five years, and major operators such as Sprint, Verizon and British Telecom (BT) will increasingly deploy IMS across their networks in a quickening tempo starting this year.
France Telecom estimates, that between 5-10 percent of its revenues will be derived from full or partial IMS services by the end of 2008. France Telecom also merged their fixed, mobile and Internet technical teams into one big entity aiming at providing a single service architecture.
IMS is being deployed gradually as an evolutionary, rather than a revolutionary process, however, it is important to understand that IMS dramatically changes the way telephone networks operate with implications on applications and network enablers.
IMS is a disruptive technology that has profound affect over companies providing services and solutions to mobile and fixed-line operators. It changes the way applications interact with the networks by providing a well-defined framework. The changes imposed by IMS require companies to adapt and adopt new technologies but it also creates new opportunities.
Small to medium companies usually tend not to invest sufficient resources in new emerging technologies until they are realize that it affects their direct revenues and threatens their position. For such companies, a gradual evolutionary approach is recommended in order to keep pace with the demand for IMS-compliant solutions.
In order to prepare your company for IMS, the following steps are recommended:
- Research the impact and influence of IMS over your current products and examine new opportunities created by IMS. If you do not have IMS experts in your organization, it is recommended to hire an external expert that brings knowledge and expertise in IMS technology and in product analysis.
- Company management should devise a migration plan towards IMS. This should include changes in current products as well as introduction of new products.
- Develop MRD (Marketing Requirement Document) and PRD (Product Requirement Document) documents
- Develop at least a high-level SysRD (System Requirements Document) that will be extending when time has come.
- Educate the organization about IMS to increase awareness and expand knowledge.
- Prepare marketing and sales materials (Press release, sales toolkit etc.) about the company’s readiness and compliance to IMS.
- Prepare canned responses to possible IMS questions in your next RFI/RFPs
- Follow IMS deployments and requirements by reading market researches and by speaking with customers in order to decide the best time for your organization to actually start developing your IMS plans