The world's first cross-national field trial verifies the maturity of IMS applications

 

Nokia and NEC Corporation have successfully completed the first phase interoperability testing between the two companies' IP Multimedia Subsystems (IMS). The testing program verified the functionality of major IMS features over an IP network connecting Europe and Japan. During the tests, Nokia and NEC established sessions for voice over IP as well as transferred instant messages between test terminals.

 

IMS enables both mobile and fixed devices to establish IP sessions between each other. These connections form the basis for a wide range of multimedia communication services, such as sharing presence information, interactive applications, sharing content and sharing real time video. Also Push to talk over Cellular, the voice service for one-on-one and one-to-group communications, will work over IMS. IP multimedia services can be accessed over any IP connection, such as GPRS and WCDMA networks, broadband home connections or WLAN hotspots.

 

Standardized in 3GPP Release 5, IMS is designed to allow service access and interoperability between operators and vendors. The success of these trials has shown that the industry's long IMS standardization efforts are starting to bear fruit as IMS standards are now mature enough for compatible implementation by different vendors. This points the way to the commercial introduction of advanced real-time and near real-time multimedia services.

 

"IMS is a vital component of our long-term business strategy and these trials mark an important milestone in bringing this new technology to operators," says Petri Pöyhönen, Vice President, Core Networks, Networks, Nokia. "In the future, we see IP based multimedia becoming mainstream, providing people with a richer means of communications. Earlier this year Nokia announced the availability of end-to-end SIP and IMS.  Now these first successful IMS-to-IMS interoperability tests clearly demonstrate the commitment of Nokia and NEC to open standards."

 

The trials are also being used to look at issues related to roaming at the service level. The ultimate objective is to have roaming for IMS-based services, allowing users to access the services of their home country even when they are abroad.   

 

"The tests serve as proof of NEC's commitment to bringing next generation data services to worldwide mobile operators," says K. Jay Miyahara, General Manager of NEC's Mobilefone Solutions Division. "IMS increases the value of an operator's network and subscriber base. It will also allow mobile network operators to deliver new kinds of services to their users. NEC was very happy to take part in these tests with Nokia, which to our knowledge are some of the first in the world to show that the technology is ready now."

 

About Nokia

Nokia is the world leader in mobile communications, driving the growth and sustainability of the broader mobility industry. Nokia is dedicated to enhancing people's lives and productivity by providing easy-to-use and innovative products like mobile phones, and solutions for imaging, games, media, mobile network operators and businesses. Nokia is a broadly held company with listings on five major exchanges.

 

About NEC Corporation

NEC is one of the world's leading providers of Internet, broadband network and enterprise business solutions dedicated to meeting the specialized needs of its diverse and global base of customers. Ranked as one of the world's top patent-producing companies, NEC delivers tailored solutions in the key fields of computer, networking and electron devices, by integrating its technical strengths in IT and Networks, and by providing advanced semiconductor solutions through NEC Electronics Corporation. The NEC Group employs more than 140,000 people worldwide and had net sales of approximately $40 billion in the fiscal year ended March 2003. For additional information, please visit the NEC home page at: http://www.nec.com

 

Media Enquiries:

 

Nokia, Networks

Communications

Tel. +358 7180 38195

Email: networks.communications@nokia.com

 

Nokia

Communications

Tel. +358 7180 34900

Email: press.office@nokia.com

 

www.nokia.com

 

NEC

Tel: +81 3 3798 6511

Email: a-shikimori@ay.jp.nec.com

 

NEC Europe

Tel: +44 (0)20 8993 8111

E-mail: Chris.Shimizu@uk.neceur.com

 

Notes to the editors: 

 

About Nokia IMS

 

Nokia is leading the way in bringing IP based multimedia services to mobile networks. The 3GPP-compliant Nokia IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), the key enabling technology for IP multimedia services, is already available for commercial deployments. Combined with the SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) software development kit from Forum Nokia and terminals supporting downloadable SIP clients, Nokia can offer a complete end-to-end solution for richer, dynamic IP multimedia communications.

 

Launched in spring 2003, the Nokia IMS provides a platform for introducing SIP-based applications as a network service. After an extensive testing period with operator customers, the Nokia IMS is now shipping, and live tests are ongoing in several major European networks.

 

IMS delivers a connectivity mechanism that enables terminals and other SIP capable devices to establish IP sessions between each other. These connections form the basis for a wide range of multimedia communication services and interactive applications. IP multimedia services can be accessed over any IP connection, such as GPRS and WCDMA networks, broadband home connections or WLAN hotspots.

 

In addition to supporting sharing, gaming and other interactive applications, IMS can be employed to provide Push to talk over Cellular, the voice service for one-on-one and one-to-group communications.

 

For Nokia's operator customers, the Nokia IMS means new revenue opportunities both in 2G and 3G networks. IMS is specified in 3GPP Release 5, providing a clear standard for interoperability.

 

NEC's IMS:

NEC's IMS service line-up shows the potential of SIP services to increase the ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) of mobile operators, while tackling serious issues such as decreasing churn rates. SIP enables services such as: Presence (a mechanism for sharing users' status and context information over the mobile network), PoC (Push-to Talk over Cellular - a real-time half-duplex voice service), instant messaging and group chat. The 3GPP-compliant NEC IMS, the key technology for mobile multimedia services, is already available for commercial deployments.

By leveraging NEC's experience of building network infrastructure and service solutions, NEC's IMS solution has, to the advantages of 3GPP compliance, added rich application services and a seamless service offering to mobile terminals. All of this is realized through a combination of NEC's own middleware and UNIX servers that distills high performance from a cost-effective, carrier-grade platform. NEC's IMS is available with both IPv6 and IPv4 address handling.

NEC is a total solution provider and partner. IMS will further increase NEC's ability to contribute to mobile carriers' expansion and creation of new communication business. 

NEC's mobile application business

NEC is a total mobile solutions provider capable of providing everything from cellular handsets to infrastructure to mobile applications. NEC has been actively expanding its sales in mobile applications, infrastructure and handsets, not only inside Japan, but also on overseas markets. The firm has a track record of delivering platforms for implementing mobile internet services, along with location information systems, contents conversion software, mail servers, and the like. NEC's mobile applications are value-added applications by which, using cell phones, persons anywhere can easily get the information they want and freely participate in their favorite communities and thus live more fulfilling lives. The fundamental concepts behind the applications are "personalize," "community" and "security." In the last couple of years, because of the penetration of camera-equipped cell phones and the introduction of ring tone services for call sender, the keywords "personal" and "community" have assumed greater importance. On the other hand, when introduction of 3G infrastructure and IMS gets going, the changeover to all-IP and broadband multimedia data communications will move into high gear. The predictions are, as a result, that packet-based voice services -- such as VoIP service and PoC (Push to Talk Over Cellular) -- will expand and the integration of voice and data services will accelerate along with the introduction image distribution services of such things as cartoons or movies.

On the foundation of its Mobile Internet Platform, NEC will aggressively expand sales efforts in its primary products of (i) "Ring back melodies," in which phone call recipients let call senders hear their favorite music or messages, (ii) "Location information system," a platform for providing various services based on participant location and (iii) "3G/2.5G Mobile Visual Solution" to provide such multimedia data as cartoons, together with its other application software offerings.