March 25, 2010 - NGN/IMS ForumTM has announced its new Technical Working Group for Applications running on fixed and mobile broadband networks (e.g. 3G/4G/LTE, wireline and cable networks).  This Technical Working Group (TWG) will help accelerate the availability of IMS-based applications by providing additional tools and resources to foster the ecosystem of application developers, content creators, network operators, and telecommunications vendors (i.e. network equipment, handset, ICT, and original equipment manufacturers).

Mobile handsets are becoming the platform on which a wide variety of applications can be run.  Today's mobile handsets are not only used for web browsing and email but, increasingly, are becoming sophisticated computing devices that run a wide variety of data applications such as social networking applications, applications to share user-generated content, multi-user games, and music and video streaming.  Traditionally, each of these capabilities has been provided by siloed platforms.  As mobile networks migrate to 4G/LTE, additional applications will be possible and end users will be looking for a common experience between their fixed and mobile broadband networks.

As carriers deploy IMS networks, applications can be enhanced to create new end user experiences by simultaneously blending voice, data, video and multimedia.  This new generation of applications will be able to take advantage of elements of the IMS network, such as QoS and Voice-over LTE (VoLTE), to deliver end-user experiences (e.g.  Multi-play: Triple Play, Quadruple Play, M-Play) that are consistent across both fixed and mobile networks.

"The IMS investment enables network operators to fully exploit applications running both inside their network or by third party application developers and content providers," said Michael Cooper, Alcatel-Lucent Vice President of Wireline marketing and business strategy. "It allows their unique network assets, such as location, presence and preferences, to be leveraged in applications to provide a personalized and differentiating service experience for consumers and business users."

"Because of the explosion of applications, this Working Group and our upcoming Plugfest 9 will concentrate its efforts on application developers to help them better internetwork web 2.0 applications with IMS networks and BSS/OSS systems (including billing, charging and security)," said Michael Khalilian, Chairman & President, NGN/IMS Forum. "These efforts will bring the same level of interoperability enabled by our Plugfests from the realm of protocols, network architectures, hardware and devices to the software and applications space by including Application Programmable Interfaces (APIs) that expose network capabilities such as VoIP, group management, presence and instant messaging."

"One of the key tenets of IMS is to evolve a vendor agnostic, open interface based architecture - through this Working Group we'll be able to guide the Industry to exploit the IMS network capabilities via Service Delivery Platforms (SDPs) & Device frameworks, to realize combinatorial applications, in an interoperable and a standards based manner", said Jinu Koshy, General Manager & Global Head, Applications & Devices Practice, Wipro Technologies. "We are glad to be part of this Working Group and use our experience as a System Integrator from global SDP, Value Added Services (VAS) deployments & Device development, to realize deployment guidelines and Best Common Practices for the Working Group"

"Given the incredible pace of change vis-à-vis new devices, applications and services, as well as the challenges of IMS deployments which are highly customized and unique, service providers and their vendors are struggling to ensure their implementations work as advertised using current approaches to testing," said Simon Berman, Mu Dynamics' Vice President of products. "We look forward to participating in the Working Group and upcoming Plugfest 9, in order to share new and innovative tools and strategies for dramatically accelerating the testing process while also increasing the quality of IMS deployments."