By 2010, mobile phone carriers could generate more than $15 billion annually by providing IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) services to enterprises, according to In-Stat. IMS services could be integrated with a variety of enterprise applications that require remote access, security, and high availability, In-Stat believes.

What's IMS all about?

The IP multimedia subsystem, or IMS, is an umbrella framework developed by the 3GPP (3G Partnership Project). It provides a modular service platform based on IP (Internet protocol) and SIP (session initiation protocol), with the aim of integrating communications and data services. Although primarily associated with consumer “3G” mobile services, IMS could be readily used to extend the boundaries of enterprise voice and data networks, especially by organizations that have already adopted VoIP (voice-over-IP) for their fixed phone systems, the In-Stat report suggests.

In-Stat Analyst Keith Nissen notes that IMS “provides enterprises with the means of accommodating secure data transmittal and communication between remote workers, outsourced third-party vendors, and trusted corporate partners.” He believes carriers could leverage IMS services to become more than mere “suppliers of enterprise transport facilities.”

Recent In-Stat research on the applicability of IMS to the enterprise market found:

• Enterprises will integrate IMS-based network capabilities into order entry, CRM (customer relationship management), and other internal processes
• The resiliency of IMS network services, combined with “highly survivable data centers,” could help enterprises avoid “expensive, dedicated stand-by systems/network facilities”
• Over 45 percent of respondents to an In-Stat survey said they would consider re-engineering internal processes to take advantage of IMS-based network services with lower-cost business continuity capabilities

The findings are from an In-Stat report entitled “IMS in the Enterprise Market.” The report includes the results of a survey on IMS-based business continuity, and forecasts carrier IMS service revenue by category through 2010. The report is part of In-Stat's IMS & Fixed/Mobile Convergence Service.

A more detailed explanation of IMS can be found here.

 
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