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Networks & Infrastructure
SOFNET 08: IMS — what is it good for?
Vendors, telcos argue merits of IMS technology
by Paul Ramussen
The debate surrounding IMS has continued at the SOFNET exhibition in
London with vendors and telcos arguing the various merits of IMS
technology and what it might achieve.
According to Murray Cooke, chief business services strategist with BT,
everyone has their own definition of what IMS is capable of achieving.
“To BT it means being able to build content and services based around
personal data. This is very useful to BT because we believe that the
customer should be at the center of service development.”
This is at odds with Motorola’s viewpoint.
“The IMS concept was put in place by the R&D departments within telcos
with a view to reducing the cost issues associated with services,”
said Andrew Wishart, Motorola’s director of customer solutions. “But
the key point being missed is that operators need to capture and bill
every data bit that flows across their networks. Telcos have lost this
capability and are letting other firms, such as content providers and
advertisers, gain revenues that should have accrued to the telcos.”
Roberto Saracco, head, future center and technical communication for
Telecom Italia, stated that he remained very skeptical of any solution
that promised to solve so many issues — such as IMS. “We will
continue to develop applications and services that will reside in
vertical silos, albeit that we will still have a small number that
will be IMS-based.”
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