Openet today unveils FusionWorks IMS, a fully engineered platform for the support of revenue-critical IMS charging and service control functions. The platform includes FusionWorks PCRF, a combined policy and charging rules management component.
IMS (IP Multi-media Sub-system) will underpin the next generation of IP multi-media services, enabling multiple subscriber access routes to services across a variety of fixed and wireless networks, and a standardised, reusable approach to service charging and management. IMS will reduce both cost and speed to market for vital new services, and will accelerate the convergence of fixed and wireless networks.
Openet has focused on developing IMS-compliant capabilities throughout 2005 and we have announced these in a series of statements to the market, from support for Diameter-based applications early in the year through support for offline and online charging functions.
This development path has now reached its logical conclusion with the release of FusionWorks IMS, a product platform geared specifically and precisely around the 3GPP IMS protocol specification.
FusionWorks IMS comprises the following component products, each fully compliant with the 3GPP IMS standards:
— FusionWorks CGF: Collection of bearer data. Provides flexible collection, aggregation and correlation of CDRs via a real-time interface. Supports all 3GPP defined CDR events.
— FusionWorks CCF: Collation and distribution of IMS data. Allows rich information about IMS sessions to be passed downstream to business systems, enabling charging and analysis based on a wide variety of multi-media attributes.
— FusionWorks OCS: Real time online charging of IMS events. Meets the IMS requirement for on-line charging essential for ‘in session’ charging, embedded rating and service control on both a session and event basis.
— FusionWorks PCRF: Combined policy and charging rules management. Meets the 3GPP requirement for service based QoS policy control and IP flow-based charging as a merged function. Allows rule management of service flow response, gating, QoS and flow based charging independently of the subscriber access technology.
Combining these functions onto a single platform creates a common basis for charging and management of all services for all customer variants, making new services much more straightforward and quick to implement.
Commenting on the announcement, John Rainger, Openet CEO, stated “Openet is leading the market in IMS charging systems, delivering software to 3GPP standards in anticipation of our customers’ requirements. Our software solutions allow carriers to implement a fully integrated IMS charging architecture without locking themselves into specific equipment vendors and without costly and high-risk replacement of existing customer charging architectures”.
Chief Technical Officer and founder of Openet, Joe Hogan, remarked “With the launch of the FusionWorks IMS platform we complete a development effort that aligns our core framework naturally with the IMS architecture. It demonstrates our commitment to solutions that enable future services in a standards-based framework.”
About Openet
Openet Telecom is a world-leading provider of Active OSS solutions that enable network operators to maximise the profitability of their network and services. Our products enable network operators to easily implement, manage, charge for, rate and bill sophisticated services – leading to enhanced profitability and quality of service.
With headquarters in Dublin, Ireland and offices in Reston VA, San Francisco, London, Paris, Rome, Madrid, Singapore and Sao Paulo, Openet Telecom has signed customers that include Cingular/AT&T Wireless, British Telecom, Orange Group, Telecom Italia Mobile and Verizon Wireless.
For more information, visit http://www.openet.com