3GPP IMS-Based Inter-Device Collaboration

The consumer demand for personalization of service usage in emerging ubiquitous environments requires that users are able to transfer media among different kind of devices they use for either leisure or business (e.g., mobile phone, TV set, PC, etc.). Within 3GPP, the service continuity between different access networks is taken one step further to allow for session mobility between devices connected via different access networks. This is achieved through extending the capabilities of the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), allowing service providers to provide a unique IMS-based service offering. This paper explores the recently completed 3GPP inter-device collaboration standardization work. In addition, future enhancements for multi-device and multi-user collaboration, under consideration are also briefly described.