IMS ‘Plugfest’ to test converged services(2)

The IMS Forum finalized the test plan for its first IMS Plugfest, scheduled for Jan. 15 – 19, 2007, at the University of New Hampshire InterOperability Lab in Durham, N.H.
There have been Plugfests for VoIP and IPTV equipment before, but this will be the first aimed specifically at IMS. There will be several IMS Plugfests through 2008. The events will establish certification for IMS products and services that have achieved the highest level of interoperability. IMS Plugfests are open to both IMS Forum members and non-members.
Applications and services to be tested include voice services, fixed-mobile convergence, presence, instant messaging and hosted IP PBX operating across multiple networks such as mobile, WiFi, wireline and cable broadband. The tests will also focus on building the reference IMS services test network for future IMS Plugfest events described in the organization’s roadmap. The roadmap’s overall objective is to provide an industry-wide validation process for IMS applications and services as applicable to the “Services and Applications Layer” of the IMS architecture.
“With the convergence of applications and services, achieving IMS interoperability is an important step toward providing next-generation multimedia services to consumers and businesses,” said Ed Miller, vice president of advanced network systems for CableLabs.
IMS is a key element of the recently-issued CableLabs PacketCable Release 2 specs.