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Lucent Technologies Introduces IP Core Networking Solution to Support Multimedia Services on Third-Generation Mobile Networks

Posted on: Monday, 22 March 2004, 06:00 CST

MURRAY HILL, N.J., March 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Lucent Technologies today introduced its Accelerate(TM) IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem), a service delivery solution that enables third-generation (3G) mobile operators to simply and cost-effectively introduce new voice over IP (VoIP) and multimedia services.

The Accelerate IMS is part of Lucent's recently announced Accelerate(TM) Voice over IP (VoIP) Solutions portfolio, a comprehensive solution developed to support the convergence of traditional voice services with multimedia services.

"Lucent's Accelerate IMS solution will enable operators to deliver services that blend voice and data capabilities, simplifying the creation of converged 'lifestyle' service bundles -- targeted to the most attractive market segments -- that offer increased service 'stickiness' and usage," said John Marinho, vice president of offer management, Lucent Mobility Solutions Group. "The Accelerate IMS helps mobile operators reduce the introduction costs and time-to-market for new services by leveraging a common applications infrastructure to deliver services with a common "look and feel" across mobile, Wi-Fi and wireline networks."

The Accelerate IMS also is a central element of Lucent's new High-Speed Data for the Mass Market (HSDmm) offer, an end-to-end solution -- incorporating infrastructure, revenue-generating applications, multi-vendor OSS software, professional services and marketing programs -- designed to help mobile operators meet pent-up consumer demand for personalized, life-style enhancing multimedia services. (Please see accompanying HSDmm press release).

The Accelerate IMS Architecture

Lucent and its research arm, Bell Labs, have developed a standards-based service delivery solution that incorporates best-of-breed platforms and applications from Lucent and industry leaders to offer a comprehensive, high-performance voice and data network that can meet the most demanding customer requirements. The Accelerate IMS is based on IP core networking standards that have been developed by the 3G Partnership Project (3GPP) and 3GPP2, industry bodies that are responsible for the establishment of standards for 3G networks.

At the heart of the Accelerate(TM) IMS solution is the Lucent Softswitch, a next-generation switching platform that manages voice and multimedia communications on IP networks, and can support a wide array of legacy networks and standards, easing the transition of existing networks to the new multimedia services model.

The Accelerate(TM) IMS solution also incorporates the Cisco MGX 8000 Series Media Gateways, which are offered as part of a joint solution with Cisco Systems, Inc. that was developed under an agreement signed last year. Lucent's industry-leading expertise in mobile networking combined with Cisco's IP networking leadership offers customers best-in-class, end-to-end solutions for delivering the high-speed data and low-cost, packet-based voice services of 3G mobile networks.

Lucent also is working with IBM to leverage and integrate IBM WebSphere(R) infrastructure and software as part of the Accelerate IMS solution and incorporating IBM eServer(R) BladeCenter and IBM Service Provider Delivery Environment (SPDE(TM)) framework and applications. This relationship enables Lucent and its service provider customers to benefit from IBM's extensive experience with IT infrastructure, services integration, and collaboration with application partners.

Applications and Services Delivery

Another central element of the Accelerate(TM) IMS architecture is Lucent's Super Distributed Home Location Register (S-DHLR), which serves as the Home Subscriber Server (HSS) for the IMS, maintaining information such as subscriber profiles and user location on mobile networks. The S-DHLR enables the creation of a single subscriber profile for each customer and all of the services they use, in contrast to the traditional method of maintaining individual subscriber databases for each service. The S-DHLR dramatically reduces the complexity of managing subscriber data, making it much easier for operators to offer their subscribers customized service bundles. The S-DHLR also makes it possible for mobile operators to offer subscribers a single service presentation that will provide a consistent look and feel for their services even when they're roaming onto another operator's network.

The Accelerate(TM) IMS also incorporates Lucent's MiLife(TM) Solutions suite, a comprehensive set of platforms and software-based, plug-and-play applications designed to support enhanced voice and data services.

As networks become more intelligent, operators have the opportunity to harness that intelligence to create more robust and personalized services for their subscribers. The task of accessing and managing this intelligence is handled by the MiLife Intelligent Services Gateway (ISG), an OSA/Parlay standards compliant mediation gateway that offers a rich set of mediation and policy management capabilities designed to enable application developers to easily incorporate network presence and availability, call control, location, messaging, billing, and authentication functions into their applications. The MiLife ISG enables operators to deliver personalized services to end users based on their location, preference and a variety of other criteria. By leveraging the MiLife ISG, operators will improve their 'time to revenue' by reducing service integration time.

To ensure that operators will have complete flexibility in billing for these new services, the Accelerate(TM) IMS includes the MiLife SurePay(R) suite, a comprehensive pre-paid and post-paid real-time charging solution, supporting voice and data across multiple networks. MiLife SurePay makes it simple for mobile operators to address their key market segments by providing targeted rating and incentive plans to increase usage, capture new customers, and retain existing customers. The MiLife SurePay solutions will support the latest IMS charging techniques, offering a flexible rating engine that enables operators to build customized multimedia service bundles.

Service Offerings and Development Partners

Lucent's applications and services delivery solutions can support a host of applications developed by Lucent, or third-party independent software vendors (ISVs) that enable mobile operators to offer a wide variety of new, enhanced services.

For instance, the AnyPath(R) Messaging System supports IP-based multimedia capabilities -- including speech-enabled, next-generation, web-based applications such as real-time stock transactions and meeting-location services -- in addition to voice, fax and text messaging. The AnyPath(R) system provides end users with a single network-based mailbox -- with the ability to manage their communications anytime, anywhere using a wireless or wireline telephone, PDA, or Internet web browser -- for their voice messaging, unified messaging and unified communications needs.

Lucent also has developed a series of new services targeted at the consumer market, which take advantage of the high-speed data capabilities offered by next-generation networks, including:

* MiRingBack/MiVideoPortal service allows end-users to personalize an

audio or video greeting that is played on a calling party's mobile

phone or other device -- in place of a traditional ring -- while

waiting for the called party to pick up.

* iLocator is a service that tracks people, events or businesses and

displays their positions on a map, and can even alert the end-user when

they are near that location or person.

* AnyPath(R) Mobile Messaging service allows subscribers to have their

voice mail messages automatically downloaded directly to their MMS,

BREW, or J2ME enabled devices, and then review the message information

visually so that they can prioritize which messages to hear first.

Lucent also has expanded its MiLife Developers Program to foster an ecosystem of developers that can create new multimedia services according to operators' requirements.

Technology partners that are integrating services solutions with Lucent's Accelerate(TM) IMS solution include: Atsonic, which delivers enhanced mobile commerce services such as sweetTRAFFIC, sweetCOUPON and sweetPRINT, and public safety applications such as the sweetFINGER biometric application for wireless finger print collection; Clarity Communications Systems, Inc., which delivers its Clarity inTouch(TM) push-to-chat system; Ecrio, which offers an OMA-Compliant Instant Messaging and Presence Services (IMPS) Solution, which enables instant multimedia communications, instant voice conferencing, and Mobile Instant Messaging Commerce for consumer and corporate users; BroadSoft(R), whose flagship product, BroadWorks(R), provides a comprehensive range of applications -- including Hosted PBX, IP Centrex, residential broadband and collaborative conferencing -- fully integrated into a single platform; and TeleCommunication Systems (TCS), whose SMSC Application provides the framework for delivery of the SMSC application on Lucent's next- generation, converged-services platforms, combining the benefits of an open, standards-based architecture.

Additionally, IBM and Lucent have collaborated on application development to ensure that services can interoperate between IBM's WebSphere Application Server for Telecom (WAS-T) and Lucent's Accelerate(TM) IMS solution.

About Lucent Technologies

Lucent Technologies designs and delivers the systems, services and software that drive next-generation communications networks. Backed by Bell Labs research and development, Lucent uses its strengths in mobility, optical, software, data and voice networking technologies, as well as services, to create new revenue-generating opportunities for its customers, while enabling them to quickly deploy and better manage their networks. Lucent's customer base includes communications service providers, governments and enterprises worldwide. For more information on Lucent Technologies, which has headquarters in Murray Hill, N.J., USA, visit http://www.lucent.com/.

Accelerate and MiLife are trademarks of Lucent Technologies.

AnyPath is a registered trademark of Lucent Technologies.

WebSphere is a registered trademark of International Business Machines.

InTouch is a trademark of Clarity, Inc.

AllMedia is a trademark of Ecrio Inc.

Broadsoft and Broadworks are registered trademarks of Broadsoft.

Lucent Technologies

CONTACT: Kurt Steinert, +1-973-386-8438, mobile, +1-908-285-1641, orIchiro Kawasaki, +1-973-386-3479, mobile, +1-973-477-4793,kawasaki@lucent.com, both of Lucent Technologies

Web site: http://www.lucent.com/

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