30 Minute Interview

“IMS helps link multiple mobile services”

Barry Hill World Wide Director Sales OpenCall Business Unit Hewlett-Packard

What are the key issues that telecom operators across the world are facing? How are these affecting their revenues?

For most telecom service providers globally, it is voice that is still the predominant revenue-generating stream. But in order to remain competitive in the business it has become necessary for them to look at other revenue-generating avenues. The greatest challenge for telecom operators lies in achieving new revenue generation models which will help them increase the average revenue per user while maintaining their operational expenditure.

Another challenge for them lies in providing these services at a cost-effective price-point so as to draw new subscribers while retaining existing ones. If the service providers are not able to provide cost-effective and innovative value-added services to their subscribers, they are going to lose them to the competition, resulting in revenue losses. Hence, telecom service providers need to bring in innovation and introduce value-added services for their subscribers. Video-downloading, real-time video-sharing, and interactive voice response can be some of the value-added services which service providers can consider introducing through the new IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) architecture.

As a technology what can IMS do for the telecom service provider? Do you have deployments in India?

IMS is an emerging next-generation networking architecture designed for VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) and multimedia services. The IMS architecture helps in linking together multiple mobile services on a real-time basis so that subscribers will be able to use voice, data and multimedia apps in a single call or session. We are bullish about the IMS infrastructure, and hope that the new architecture will be popular among telecom service providers, help them in offering value-added services to their subscribers, and enhance their revenue earnings. The IMS architecture is a blueprint for telecom service providers. We are saying that if you adopt this architecture you are going to benefit from it. Trial runs are underway in India and other parts of the world, and we expect significant deployments of the architecture in the next few months.

HP has announced the OCMP video solution designed to support advanced multimedia and interactive services in IMS networks. Your comments.

The release of the OpenCall Media Platform (OCMP) video solution is a step in the direction of IMS architecture and its adherence. The platform will help in the development of interactive multimedia services that will drive the penetration of advanced video services and allow operators to efficiently share resources among different applications. With this platform, both service providers and developers will be able to adapt and react quickly to changing user requirements. The platform has successfully completed trial runs in different parts of the world.

For instance, VoxSurf, the London-based voicemail and messaging solutions provider, has piloted its 3G video messaging application developed on HP’s OCMP platform for the BBC. The application allows football fans to send in 3G video messages with their opinions on international football games and the Football Focus programme which BBC broadcasts. Similarly, Collab, a Portugal-based multimedia and IP-based OneContact provider, has developed 3G OneContact on the OCMP video platform. The solution is up and running at Vodafone Portugal, and OneContact is now performing outbound voice and video telephony campaigns for its new 3G subscribers. It is also providing inbound video customer service to its 3G subscribers.

Can you give us an overview of HP OpenCall’s solutions and how they are helping service providers?

HP OpenCall solutions provide carrier-grade platforms for the development of next-generation voice, data and converged services. They have signalling platforms which are integrated, and standards-based SS7 platforms that help telephony applications for mission-critical services and connect them to the telecom networks. We offer interactive voice and media platforms for the creation and deployment of value-added services for both circuit switch and packet networks.

Additionally, there are mobility and service platform systems. The mobility management systems are standards-based network elements and can precisely identify a subscriber’s location within five metres and then track it across multi- generation and multi-provider networks. The service platform helps telecom service providers create and deploy advanced value-added services across the globe. We also have a pre-pay solution that helps mobile subscribers control the cost of their service by purchasing airtime in advance.

— Abhinav Singh