ETSI IMS Plugtests™ show major advancements in interoperability between IMS networks

Oct. 26, 2009 - PRLog -- ETSI today announced the successful completion of their third annual interoperability testing event for IP Multimedia Sub-system (IMS) NNI (Network-to-Network Interface). The event was organized by ETSI with the technical partnership of Orange Labs and promoted by the GSM Association's Rich Communication Suite (RCS) consortium and the Multi Service Forum (MSF).

The event confirmed a high level of interoperability between components of advanced future telecommunications networks, as well as between those networks and traditional legacy networks.

The principal aims of this event were to:
•   Enable participants to evaluate the level of interoperability between IMS networks core networks, multimedia telephony (MMTel) and presence applications servers, as well as IMS clients
•   Enable participants to evaluate the interoperability between IMS core networks and legacy Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) networks
•   Validate 3GPP™ IMS base standards as well as IMS NNI and IMS/PSTN test specifications produced by ETSI's IMS Networks Testing Technical Committee (TC INT).

These aims have been well achieved, with interoperability between multiple vendors over a variety of configurations being proven beyond expectations. During the event over 576 tests were executed and 89% interoperability was observed.

Interoperability of IMS equipment was assessed in different scenarios including interworking, IMS roaming, and session border control based on 52 tests from the ETSI IMS NNI test specification. In addition, this event also checked for the first time the interoperability of IMS core networks with legacy PSTN networks.

As part of the interoperability testing, ETSI also evaluated the conformance of NNI communication to IMS base standards using automated NNI trace checking tools based on the Testing & Test Control Notation (TTCN-3) specification language. Feedback from this evaluation will be submitted by ETSI TC INT to relevant 3GPP Technical Specification Groups in order to further refine and improve IMS base specifications.  

This year’s event showed a significant increase in IMS core vendor attendance, with a good mix of large and small vendors. Compared to previous Plugtests significant improvements in conformance and wider support of IMS standards have been observed.

The importance of IMS NNI interoperability was confirmed by vendor presentations that showed a promising increase in the availability and deployment of IMS-based products in operational networks. Plans are already in place to hold a fourth IMS NNI interoperability event in 2010.

Network Equipment, Test tool vendors, and Observers included: Acme Packet, Agilent Technologies, Astellia, Ericsson, Hotaru Project, Images et Reseaux, Inexbee, Iskratel, Nexcom Systems, Nokia Siemens Networks, NTT Advanced Technology, Orange Labs, Starent Networks, Telecom Bretagne, Telecom Italia, Testing Technologies, Telecommunication Regulatory Commission of Jordan, and Thomson. Inexbee provided commercial IMS clients for driving IMS NNI testing.

This Plugtests™ interoperability event was organized by the ETSI Centre for Testing and Interoperability (CTI), and the test descriptions underpinning the event were developed by ETSI Technical Committee INT (IMS Network Testing). This event was generously sponsored by the eEurope Initiative of the European Commission (http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/eeurope/i2010/ind...)

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ETSI produces globally-applicable ICT standards, including fixed, mobile, radio, converged, aeronautical, broadcast and IP technologies. An independent, not-for-profit association, ETSI's 766 member companies come from 63 countries worldwide.