There are many reasons it takes so long for new technology to make
its way into the network.
There are significant investments that have been made in existing networks. These
investments do not get replaced until they have been fully depreciated from an operator??™s
books. This, of course, always presents a challenge for vendors who must develop
and then sell product to pay for the development of new network entities. We are right
now in the phase where operators begin planning and deploying segments of IMS in
their networks, but large-scale deployments may take many years to come.
This means that SS7 will continue to exist in the network for many years to come.
The IMS networks being deployed today are being deployed next to the existing SS7
networks, and are interworking with these networks through the procedures defined by
the 3GPP (and explained in this book). So SS7 does not go away tomorrow but will continue
to grow, in fact, in many regions. Slowly, segments of IMS deployments will begin
to take over SS7 functions, until the SS7 network is completely replaced by the IMS.
This book provides an interpretation of the 3GPP standards for IMS. This is not the
view of any one vendor, nor is it the view of the 3GPP. Rather, this an interpretation of
the 3GPP specifications that define the IMS and its functions. What makes this book
different is the insight into the Intelligent Network, as well as years of background and
experience in data and voice network design.
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