ESPOO, Finland-Vodafone Group plc named Nokia Corp. and L.M. Ericsson as its preferred suppliers for IMS technology, an agreement that could stand as a major boost to both vendors.
Nokia said it has a contract to begin deploying its Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem solution to Vodafone affiliates worldwide. Nokia said it expects the first deployments to take place this year.
Nokia said its IMS network architecture and Session Initiation Protocol technology would enable Vodafone to pilot next-generation services and begin interoperability testing.
Meanwhile, Ericsson is set to supply its IMS systems, support and integration services to support Vodafone’s evolution to an all-IP network. As Ericsson’s IMS enables interoperability between operators, network types and handsets, Vodafone aims to start interoperability testing as soon as possible, the companies said in a statement.
Ericsson said implementation of its IMS offering would enable Vodafone to launch a range of next-generation services, with the first market implementation planned for Vodafone KK in Japan.
“Vodafone is excited by the enormous possibilities that are emerging with IP Multimedia,” says Detlef Schultz, head of Global Supply Chain Management at Vodafone. “IMS is going to play a strategic role in our future service delivery.”
Terms for the IMS agreements were not disclosed.
In other news, Vodafone said it signed a network agreement with Bulgaria’s Mobiltel. “You have to acknowledge the scale of the Vodafone partner network and commend the operator for its innovative approach to widen its channels to market,” said Carrie Pawsey, a senior analyst at Ovum. “The Vodafone partner network is a scheme whereby other mobile operators can benefit by selling Vodafone-branded products without having to be an equity subsidiary. It also allows operators to become part of the Vodafone Group handset procurement group, thus obtaining volume discounts and gaining access to devices smaller operators might otherwise not have been able to obtain.”
