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Infonetics: VoLTE is Top Driver for IMS But Comes with Challenges; Virtualization a Hot Topic for Operators
[July 09, 2014]

Infonetics: VoLTE is Top Driver for IMS But Comes with Challenges; Virtualization a Hot Topic for Operators


CAMPBELL, Calif. --(Business Wire)--

Market research firm Infonetics Research released excerpts from its 2014 IMS Service Strategies and Vendor Leadership: Global Service Provider Survey, for which carriers with IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) core equipment in their networks were interviewed to assess their needs, plans, and ratings of IMS vendors.

ANALYST NOTE

"Among carriers participating in our latest IMS study, it's clear that although voice over LTE (News - Alert) (VoLTE) is the largest driver for IMS, it also presents new challenges such as a limited set of compatible handsets and a weak business case. It'll be tough to justify spending capital on a new network for just voice that represents flat-to-declining revenue, requiring providers to look well beyond running voice over IMS," says Diane Myers, principal analyst for VoIP, UC, and IMS at Infonetics Research.

IMS SURVEY HIGHLIGHTS

  • 83% of carriers surveyed say they will deploy voice over LTE (VoLTE) by 2016, up from 3% today
  • Another top factor driving respondent IMS deployments is the ability to offer converged services over multiple access methods
  • Fixed-line voice over IP (VoIP) service continues to represent the majority of IMS deployments, with 100% of survey respondents planning to have business and/or residential VoIP services running over IMS by 2016
  • Discussions around virtualization and NFV (network functions virtualization) are heating up, and IMS is in the thick of things: Respondents overwhelmingly expressed a desire to run IMS networks in an NFV environment within 2 years
  • If vendors aren't actively developing products suited for an NFV environment, they will fall short in RFPs

IMS SURVEY SYNOPSIS

Infonetics' (News - Alert) 36-page IMS survey is based on interviews with incumbent, mobile, competitive, and cable operators from around the world that have IMS core equipment in their networks or plan to by 2016. Infonetics asked operators about IMS migration drivers and barriers; single/multiple IMS cores; plans for IMS services (VoLTE, residential voice over broadband, business-hosted IP voice, RCS/e, business trunking, etc.); and CSCF and HSS installations, features, and manufacturers. The report includes operator ratings of IMS infrastructure vendors (Alcatel-Lucent, BroadSoft, Ericsson, Genband, Huawei, Mavenir, Nokia, Oracle, ZTE (News - Alert)) on 9 criteria. To buy the report, contact Infonetics: www.infonetics.com/contact.asp.

RELATED REPORT EXCERPTS



RECENT AND UPCOMING RESEARCH

Download Infonetics' 2014 market research brochure, publication calendar, events brochure, report highlights, tables of contents, and more at www.infonetics.com/login.


INFONETICS WEBINARS

Visit www.infonetics.com/infonetics-events to register for upcoming webinars, view recent webinars on demand, or learn about sponsoring a webinar.

  • Delivering Gigabit Broadband: A Primer (July 16: Attend) - attendees receive free report
  • Shifting to the Cloud: Managing Next-Gen WLANs (July 22: Attend) - free 802.11ac AP
  • Coherent Optics: Cheaper, Better, Faster (July 24: Attend)
  • Diameter Signaling Control for LTE Networks (View on-demand)
  • Deploying IMS in the Cloud with NFV (View on-demand)

TO BUY REPORTS, CONTACT:

N. America (West), Asia Pacific: Larry Howard [email protected] +1 408-583-3335

N. A. (East, Midwest), L. America, EMEA: Scott Coyne [email protected] +1 408-583-3395

Greater China, SE Asia, India: ???? Jeffrey Song [email protected] +86 21-3919-8505

Japan ?? Takashi Kimura, TAK Analytics [email protected] +81 3-6408-5566

South Korea ???? Doug Moon, MBAP [email protected], +82 2-3453-9400

ABOUT INFONETICS

Infonetics Research (News - Alert) (www.infonetics.com) is an international market research and consulting firm serving the communications industry since 1990. A leader in defining and tracking emerging and established technologies in all world regions, Infonetics helps clients plan, strategize, and compete effectively. View Infonetics' About Us slides.


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