IBM Unveils IMS Offerings to Speed Telco Industry Move to Next Generation Networks

Enables Service Providers to Improve Profitability, Reduce Costs and Incorporate New Partners Into Service Delivery Ecosystem

ARMONK, NY -- Nov 17, 2005 -- IBM today announced IMS (Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystems) offerings to help telecommunications service providers transition to Next Generation Networks.

Within the highly competitive telecommunications market, the move to IP infrastructures is enabling service providers to better differentiate themselves in order to ensure revenue protection and growth. Service providers are motivated to move to IP-based infrastructures in order to reduce costs, improve revenue growth and profitability and better incorporate new partners into their services ecosystem.

IBM IMS solutions enable evolution from legacy networks to converged Next Generation Networks. Legacy and evolving components are integrated by using open computing standards enabling service providers to deliver an enhanced user experience while creating an added value network and a service roadmap that can be more easily managed.

IBM offers telecommunications industry clients pre-integrated business solutions that are based on an architecture which integrates IMS with existing service environments. The solutions are fully tested and designed to meet carrier grade quality standards. The IBM IMS architecture is built on components to reduce integration costs and leverages the IBM SPDE framework for continuity of Service Delivery Platform (SDP) evolution along with SOA and Web Services where appropriate. The solutions also enable service providers to evolve their current environments with predefined roadmaps that are customized to their specific requirements.

“IMS is only relevant if it is directly contributing towards corporate fiscal and strategic objectives,” said Joseph Ziskin, Vice President of strategy and growth initiatives, IBM Telecommunications Industry. “IBM’s IMS offerings enable revenue growth for service providers by delivering services to market quickly at a lower cost.”

The IBM IMS set of offerings includes integrated hardware and software components to help Telecom service providers establish a flexible, high-performance IMS-compliant service delivery platform, based on Rational, Tivoli and WebSphere software. IBM helps providers reduce life-cycle costs by operating IMS solutions on the IBM eServer BladeCenter T and CarrierGrade Linux computing platform. IBM will soon be announcing new technology investments extending our software offerings to enable customers to create, integrate, execute and present next generation services in a flexible, cost-effective manner.

There are several ways customers and business partners can engage with IBM for IMS solutions. More than 800 business partners are currently working with IBM to deliver next generation telecommunications solutions. These partners are part of IBM’s PartnerWorld Telecommunications Industry Network, which provides ISVs with comprehensive business insight, technical resources, networking opportunities and marketing and sales support designed to help them reach more customers and close deals faster.

To further support the Telecom industry’s evolution to Next Generation Networks and services, IBM is unveiling six new Telecommunications Solutions Labs (TSLs) worldwide to enable service providers to leverage IBM’s capabilities in research, systems and technology, software and consulting and implementation. The labs in Austin, Beaverton, La Gaude, Hursley, Montpellier and Beijing deliver an environment in which clients can experience comprehensive solutions that combine IBM technologies with a best-in-class IBM Business Partners ecosystem. These solutions are focused on the business processes, networks and applications needed to support the creation and delivery of next generation services. The IBM TSLs offer technical skills across a range of telecom solutions to include Network Transformation, Service Delivery Platforms and BSS/OSS Transformation. Several IMS proof of concept projects, among others, are currently underway at the labs.

For more information about IBM Telecommunications industry offerings, please visit www.ibm.com/industries/telecom.

About IBM
IBM is the world’s largest information technology company, with 80 years of leadership in helping businesses innovate. Drawing on resources from across IBM and key IBM Business Partners, IBM offers a wide range of services, solutions and technologies that enable customers, large and small, to take full advantage of the new era of On Demand Business. For more information about IBM visit www.ibm.com.

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Contact Information

Leigh Ann Fowler

IBM Media Relations

IBM

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