It also reduces the overall cost of supporting multimedia. A service delivery platform
can be reused for many different services, all running through the same facilities. All of
your platforms are interconnected through the same infrastructure, making it possible
to offer unique, value-adding services such as presence.
The ability to begin integrating various services is an important factor to consider
when making a decision toward implementing IMS. Tying many different platforms
together to support a single service is no small feat if all of these platforms rely on
proprietary protocols. IMS supports this capability by normalizing all session control
through SIP. This is perhaps the killer app for IMS.
Changing to IMS does not happen overnight. There are many legacy systems that
will have to interoperate with the IMS network as it is implemented. Some operators
have chosen to treat their IMS deployments as green-field networks, running them
completely separate from their legacy networks. This can work, but it leaves a lot of legacy
equipment stranded with no opportunity of recuperating the capital investments.
Others have chosen a more transitional approach, using the legacy network and the IMS
together, with gateways and other elements in between the two networks supporting the
interworking between the services layer and the transport layers.
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