Report: Delivering Strategic Benefits with IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS)

Authors:  Mark Heath and Alastair Brydon with Ross Pow (Analysys Research)

Publication date:  September 2005

“IMS presents fixed and mobile network operators with powerful capabilities to support enhanced services, service convergence and network convergence. However, its very flexibility and diverse promotions by vendors are creating confusion. We explain what IMS is, what its commercial potential is and where operators can best use it.” Dr Alastair Brydon

Product overview

IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) could have a major role to play in the future delivery of multimedia services over fixed and mobile networks. Vendors claim that IMS will bring diverse benefits for network operators, but hype and lack of clarity make it difficult for operators to identify the most significant short- and long-term gains, and to define a robust strategy for deployment of IMS.

This report studies specific mobile, fixed and converged services proposed by IMS vendors, assessing their market potential and the barriers that must be overcome to make them a success. It also considers the role of IMS in supporting strategic initiatives, such as fixed–mobile substitution, converged broadband–mobile services, and integrated all-IP networks. The report provides specific recommendations to network operators, to guide their decisions on IMS deployment, and to equipment vendors, to strengthen their propositions.  

Delivering Strategic Benefits with IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) answers your key questions:

• What is IMS? What is implemented and what core capabilities does it provide?
• What are the potential benefits of IMS to network operators, in terms of services, cost savings, support for strategic initiatives, etc?
• What are the prospects for short-term service opportunities enabled by IMS and which are the most promising?
• What roles could IMS play in fixed–mobile substitution and fixed–mobile convergence?
• What are the key factors to consider in defining IMS's role in a network?