The new UCG platform provides solutions for FMC network architectures defined by the 3GPP, 3GPP2, ETSI and CableLabs telecommunications industry standards bodies, including:
* IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS)
* IMS over WiMAX
* Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA)
* Picocells and Femtocells
* Wireless LAN Access.
"By creating and deploying the technology specified by new industry standards like IMS and Integrated Wireless LAN services, service providers worldwide have already cast their vote in favor of Fixed Mobile Convergence as the next delivery mechanism for subscriber services," said Cam Cullen, Reef Point vice president of product management. "But the jury is out regarding which FMC architectures will win. And because some service providers will employ multiple FMC standards and others will evolve among them, all are best served by a single platform that can support them all. Our broad range of solutions gives service providers the utmost freedom and flexibility to build compelling service packages for their customers."
The Universal Convergence Gateway is a control point situated between a service provider's core network (e.g., where application servers and other elements reside) and the subscriber access network that is used to access those services. Each Reef Point UCG-based solution provides the specific functions (e.g., network termination, privacy, infrastructure security) that each FMC industry standard requires plus the intelligence to determine the resources (e.g., bandwidth) required for certain services (e.g., video vs. voice or instant messaging) and to enforce specific policies (e.g., service authorization, or presence).
"Fixed mobile convergence is on the roadmap of all major carriers in developed countries. Planned introduction can be made using different techniques, or using a combination of them. For example, carriers can start deploying with technologies like UMA, that move to IMS voice call continuity (VCC) for better cost efficiency when traffic will ramp-up. These different steps in introducing fixed mobile convergence offerings can all be deployed using Reef Point's convergence gateway solution," said Jean-Charles Doineau, service infrastructure practice leader at Ovum, a leading international telecommunication consulting, research and analyst firm.
