Lucent Expands IMS Portfolio with New IP Services for Next-Gen Mobile and Wireline Networks

Bell Labs-Developed Applications Unlock Potential of IP Networks, Delivering "Blended Lifestyle" Services that Support Users at Home, at Work and on the Go

Lucent Technologies today introduced a series of enhancements to its industry-leading IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) solution that provide consumers and business users with new "blended lifestyle" services that combine voice, video and data capabilities and can be delivered on both wireless and wireline networks.

These new services include: Active PhoneBook, an advanced personal directory service that goes beyond the standard "buddy list" by providing a common, unified phonebook supporting an array of applications and devices that tracks and centralizes contact data including phone numbers and e-mail addresses and incorporates presence and location data for subscribers' buddies; Lucent's Peer-to-Peer Streaming Video solution, which lets people conduct two-way streaming-video conference sessions; iLocator, a personalized location-based services offering; and Lucent's Multi-player Video Gaming solution.

These applications take advantage of the presence, quality-of-service and subscriber data management capabilities delivered by Lucent's IMS solution, including the new Lucent Session Manager, which provides call and session control for the coordination and delivery of IP-based services to end-users anytime, anywhere, regardless of whether they are using a mobile phone, wireless PDA, IP phone or desktop PC.

"Bringing together applications and combining them into simple-to-use, personalized services that offer compelling value to consumers and businesses alike will drive subscriber growth on next-generation networks," said Cindy Christy, president, Network Solutions Group, Lucent Technologies. "With the introduction of these additional blended lifestyle services, Lucent is building on its IMS momentum and enabling operators to enhance, customize, and secure their service offerings, helping to generate new revenue and increase subscriber loyalty."

Blended Lifestyle Applications

Lucent's Active PhoneBook application provides unified database management and a consistent "look and feel" across the various applications a consumer might use, such as e-mail contact lists, instant messenger buddy lists and mobile handset phone books. Using this technology, an end-user can conduct multi-party, multimedia communications sessions. For instance, this application enables consumers to simultaneously contact their buddies to plan an evening out, establish a VoIP conference call to discuss their options, browse the Web as a group to view a movie trailer for the latest box office hit and purchase tickets.

Lucent's iLocator application, developed in Bell Labs, uses location and presence technology to alert users when friends, family or points of interest are in their vicinity, and facilitate services that can take advantage of that location information. For example, consumers using iLocator can receive a mobile phone notification about a sale at a favorite store, or locate the nearest gas station or restaurant. Business users can also benefit from this technology. For instance, an auto insurance company could locate the claims processors nearest to an accident and send them to assess the damage and initiate claims quickly.

With Lucent's Peer-to-Peer Video service, subscribers can conduct two-way streaming-video conference sessions, enabling parents to send live video of their children to their grandparents, teens to share video of the party they're at with their friends, and co-workers to conduct live video conferences from any location.

Lucent's IMS-based Multiparty Video Gaming solution allows operators to deploy a wide variety of exciting multiplayer games that can be supported on both mobile and wireline devices including 3G phones and desktop PCs.

Platform and Software Enhancements

To better support these new blended lifestyle service offerings, Lucent has introduced a variety of both platform and software enhancements to its IMS portfolio.

Among these enhancements is the Lucent Session Manager, which directs and coordinates the interaction between multiple applications, enabling the "blending" of voice, video and other capabilities, and supports their [this implies the deliver of multiple applns - if you're referring to voice, video & other capabilities here, then you need use use "supporting"] delivery across a variety of network types to a broad selection of devices. The Session Manager also allows users to access all of their applications by logging onto the network a single time, rather than having to enable each individual application.

Lucent also introduced the MiLife Application Server (AS), a combined server and service control point that offers greater capacity and capability in a smaller footprint and at lower cost than traditional service platforms, helping wireless, wireline and converged network operators accelerate the introduction of IP-based voice, data and multimedia services.

To enable operators to extend presence capabilities outside the traditional instant messaging context -- making presence data available to other IMS-based services and mobile phones -- Lucent has developed a presence server based on the SIMPLE (SIP for Instant Messaging and Presence Leveraging Extensions) standard.

Additionally, Lucent has upgraded its SurePay® pre- and post-paid solutions suite to better support IMS-based services, making it easier for operators to track and charge for premium content services and blended lifestyle service offerings.

Bell Labs Role

Lucent's new IMS-based applications also take advantage of two Bell Labs developed Service Enhancement Technologies, which make Lucent's IMS-based solutions simple, seamless, secure, portable, personal and flexible.

-- DataGrid is an advanced database integration tool that simplifies the tasks involved in managing services by integrating the myriad databases that keep track of each subscriber's location, choice of device and service preference within each network, so that all this data is transparent to applications.
-- The Service Broker technology supports service flexibility by enabling multiple applications to interact with one another and be simultaneously delivered to any type of access device. Without this service broker technology, end users would have to access their applications one at a time and with multiple logins.

Lucent's Service Enhancement Layer is a library of Bell Labs software assets that work across wireless and wireline networks to simplify and speed delivery of services. The Service Enhancement Layer takes Lucent's IMS solution - part of Lucent's Accelerate™ Next Generation Communications Solutions portfolio - beyond the standard IMS architecture, offering distinct advantages over competing IMS implementations by enhancing data management, providing access to data outside a service provider's network and enhancing SIP processing.

Network Operations Software for IMS

Lucent has also expanded its VitalSuite network operations software suite to better support IMS-based services, enabling service providers, governments and enterprises real-time, end-to-end visibility into the quality and performance of their enhanced services. VitalSuite, another Bell Labs-developed technology, also provides comprehensive service assurance and IP services management solutions to improve their service quality and ultimately the user experience.