An Overview of the IMS

Course summary

The evolution of telecommunication networks has brought internet technology to the fore of network design. With the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) at its core, these ‘next generation’ networks are maximising their potential as complete multimedia service offerings. The IMS is a standards-based, access-independent, connectivity and service architecture that uses internet protocols to connect a wide variety of media types to end-users on a global basis. The IMS ensures interworking between IMS operators, other IP based networks and legacy PSTN/ISDN circuit switched domains in fixed and mobile networks. As long as new services or components conform to the standards, they can be plugged in to make use of common services reducing the need for proprietary solutions and duplication. With the emergence of Voice over IP (VoIP), it seemed obvious to choose the Internet standard Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) as a signalling mechanism, enabling simple, peer-to-peer voice, text and multimedia services to be set up across networks. Although IMS was originally driven by the mobile sector, it soon became clear that SIP and IMS could be of great value to fixed-line telecoms providers, enabling converged IP services such as VoIP. The IMS architecture also has the functionality to capture billing information and perform security operations such as user authentication and encryption and integrity protection. At the heart of LTE in support of services such as VoLTE, this timely session provides a comprehensive tour through the IMS and the fundamental role of SIP.

Who would benefit

This session is for those aiming to better understand the architecture and the potential of the IMS, as well as those looking for an introduction to SIP.

Prerequisites

There are no essential prerequisites for this course other than a keen interest to understand the IMS, potentially in relation to VoLTE communications.

Topic areas include

• Introduction to the IMS
• IMS Architecture and Network Elements
• SIP Procedures in the IMS
• IMS Applications