Building converged networks with IMS technology

For several years, telecommunications providers have touted the potential of converged networks that offer a wide range of voice, data, and multimedia services, all over a single IP infrastructure. These networks - which differ from today's disparate voice, data, signaling, and control networks - would be based on open standards rather than proprietary approaches and let users work with applications or one another across wireless or wireline platforms. However, these networks have been just a vision until recently. Now, though, a growing number of telecommunications carriers and equipment vendors-including Alcatel, British Telecommunication, Ericsson, Lucent Technologies, Motorola, and Nokia - are beginning to release devices and services based on a convergence approach called IP Multimedia Subsystem.