LTE driving IMS deployments: Infonetics

CAMPBELL, USA: IP Multimedia (voice, video, data) Subsystem (IMS) networks continue to be deployed by fixed-line operators, mobile operators, and cable operators; 71 per cent of Infonetics' survey respondents have already deployed IMS and the rest are in the process of deploying IMS (a requirement for participating in the survey).

"For the first time ever, LTE is the top driver for IMS deployments in our annual IMS service provider survey," notes Diane Myers, principal analyst, VoIP and IMS, Infonetics Research. "But while LTE may be the number-one driver, the reality is the majority of services running over IMS today are fixed-line VoIP. None of our survey respondents has yet deployed voice over LTE (VoLTE)."

Fixed-line VoIP service is the mainstay of IMS deployments, with 76 per cent of respondents running residential voice over broadband, SIP trunking, or hosted business VoIP over IMS today, growing to 100% by 2014.

"Ultimately, the longer-term inevitability of an all-IP mobile network is leading operators to IMS for other services first, even if VoLTE services are farther down the road," Myers adds.

Mobile services are growing in importance: by 2014, 71 per cent of respondent operators plan to offer RCS/e, more than half plan to offer VoLTE, and more or less a third will offer VoIP over 3G and mobile messaging.

Ericsson continues to be the leading IMS vendor in terms of equipment installed by respondent operators.

Huawei is a real standout in this year's survey, growing its installed base every year among survey respondents and topping the vendor leadership list for pricing, total cost of ownership, product roadmap, financial stability, and reliability.