The IP Multimedia Subsystem, known to the public as IMS, realises the vision of mobile internet and contemporary VoIP based Fixed Mobile Convergence telephony service. Much like the internet, IMS offers a wide range of media-rich applications. With its IMS, Comneon joined the RCS (Rich Communications Suite) initiative to guarantee the end-to-end availability of all implemented services.

IMS is neither an application nor a service in itself, but it is a Device Framework that significantly eases setting up new applications on the terminal which all make use of the same IMS core and enabling protocol functions.

Comneon’s Role in IMS Clients
Comneon has steadily been enhancing its IMS Device Framework offering to ensure that it is fully compliant with 3GPP Release 6.
The Comneon IMS Device Framework is now the leading “truly-layered IMS architecture” for mobile phones.

IMS seamlessly combines different elements and functionalities. For flexible, cost-efficient and future-proof deployments as well as promising revenue opportunities, Comneon’s IMS Device Framework is scaled to support a wide range of possible applications including, but not limited to:

• Video and Image Sharing (GSMA)
• Voice-over-IP (VoIP)
• OMA Instant Messaging including MSRP and SMS over IP
• OMA Presence, Group and List Management and Push-to-Talk (PoC)
• Next Generation Network services, such as Voice Call Continuity (VCC), I-WLAN and IMS emergency call
• Video Telephony and Video Streaming

Some of these applications have already been introduced to different operator projects, supporting ATC satellite networks (VoIP, PoC), bringing voice call continuity (VCC) to WiMAX/ GSM-EDGE Networks and offering low-latency push to talk for 3G networks.

Comneon is participating in the Rich Communication Suite Initiative (RCS) implementing a complete mobile solution consisting of a user interface and the RCS compliant IMS Device Framework.

Advantages
Being independent of the transport bearer, such as 2G, 3G, WLAN, WiMAX, xDSL or Satellite, IMS simplifies the creation of Fixed-Mobile-Convergence services. The Voice Call Continuity feature offers a seamless handover and excellent user experience. The converged address book instantly provides synchronisation of the contact lists of different devices, e.g. mobile and cordless phones.

The robust aspect of Comneon’s IMS Device Framework is that it significantly reduces the additional cost incurred on the integration of more than one application into the system. Furthermore, reduced time-to-market mitigates the overall business risk.
• The Comneon IMS Device Framework has exhibited superior quality IOT performance against the IMS network equipment, when tested at all major OMA / GSMA test events till date.
• Comneon’s IMS solution is designed in such a way that it meets all prerequisites specified by leading operators as well as OMTP requirements.
• The Comneon IMS Device Framework exhibits complete functionality on a variety of platforms. It has already been ported to Windows Mobile^®1, Linux^®2, BREW^®3, and several native operating system implementations.
• Comneon’s IMS solution is absolutely scaleable, allowing all sorts of customised IMS deployments on the handset side. It offers built-in synergies by reusing the underlying protocols such as SIP and RTP/RTCP.
• Comneon’s IMS Device Framework can easily be adapted to all customer needs. It is delivered with a comprehensive toolkit and a test client running on a PC and a mobile along with a test server.
• All demands and requirements of the market are reflected in the feature set of Comneon’s IMS Device Framework including the user interface for a mobile RCS solution.
• The development roadmap of the Comneon IMS Device Framework incorporates all requirements for future IMS systems, including the integration of IMS into Next Generation Networks enabling Fixed Mobile Convergence and JSR 281 compliance required by the Java^{TM 4} community.

Customer Benefits
• The IMS Device Framework deals with all standardised handset / network components. Hence, applications can be deployed almost instantaneously. Newly created services are independent of lengthy standardisation processes.
• Integration and bundling of new applications coupled with much simpler custom-tailoring serves as a major source of attraction to new customers and obviates unnecessary complexity.

With Comneon’s IMS Device Framework now shipping, handset manufacturers can improve their time-to-market for devices supporting IP multimedia communications in the lead up to 3GPP Release 6 network deployments. However, the Comneon IMS solution is also compatible with 3GPP Release 5 and IETF^®5 signaling. It complements GPRS and 3G device platforms by enabling multimedia applications to use the packet data capabilities of the networks.

¹ Windows Mobile^® is a product of Microsoft Corporation, ² Linux^® is a software of Linus Torvalds, ³ BREW^® is a product of  Qualcomm Incorporated, ⁴ Java^TM  is a software of Sun Microsystems Inc., ⁵ IETF^® is a registered trademark of the Internet Engineering Task Force