IMS Forum to Host Inaugural IMS Plugfest for Applications and Services, January 15-20, 2007, at UNH Interoperability Lab.

IMS Applications and Services Event Will Bring Together Service Providers and Application Vendors

FREMONT, Calif. -- The IMS Forum, the industry association recognized as the Voice of IP Convergence (www.imsforum.org), today announced that it will host its first IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) Plugfest for Applications and Services, between January 15-19, 2007, at the University of New Hampshire's Interoperability Lab (IOL). Registration, which is open to both IMS Forum members and non-members starts on Wednesday, October 18th, 2006. Details are available on the IMS Forum website at www.imsforum.org.

The IMS Plugfest, the first in a series of IMS Plugfest events, will bring together service providers and IMS vendors committed to furthering the development of IMS certification, and will provide a unique opportunity to establish agreed upon requirements and criteria for IMS applications and services interoperability. This testing event will enable the Forum to develop an industry-recognized "stamp of approval" for IMS applications and services, expediting their rollout.

The IMS Forum is committed to bringing together all participants, including vendors, service providers, enterprises, industry forums, standards bodies, system integrators, and software and middleware providers, to deliver on the promise of IP convergence. Several of the industry's pioneers, including Empirix, Sonus Networks, Tekelec, Genband, Trendium and GlobalTouch Telecom, have already committed to participating in the IMS Forum Plugfest.

"The IMS Plugfest represents a significant milestone in the Forum's mission to accelerate the deployment of IMS by resolving critical interoperability issues, developing best practices, and showcasing standards-based architectures in the application layer," said IMS Forum Chairman, Michael Khalilian. "IMS is fundamental to next-generation IP services deployment, as it allows the realization of true fixed-wireless convergence. However, IMS adoption and development is still in its nascent stages, and many questions. The IMS Forum Plugfest represents the ideal setting in which to clarify the ambiguity surrounding this emerging standard."

New research from Frost & Sullivan indicates the IMS market is due to grow from the $2.5 billion of last year to $12.6 billion by 2012. This growth will be driven primarily by a raft of new services and systems that IMS technology enables.

"I am impressed with the IMS Forum's commitment to collaborating and working with other groups and standards bodies for the continued advancement of IMS architecture, and to ensuring that there is no duplication of efforts within the industry," said Ronald Gruia, senior telecom analyst, Frost & Sullivan. "With IMS poised to serve as a primary catalyst for telecommunications growth over the next five years, there is a definite need for applications and service certification and interoperability, a much under-emphasized aspect of telecommunications."

"Vendor interoperability is crucial for accelerating the adoption of the IMS architecture in the marketplace," said Lincoln Lavoie, senior engineer, UNH IOL. "The UNH-IOL is excited to partner with IMS Forum to realize its goal of conformance and interoperability among IMS devices."

"The IMS Plugfest is a critical first stepping stone to more significant development and deployment of IMS," said Duane Sword, vice president of product management for Empirix. "Interoperability testing is an essential technology-proofing process that requires the expertise and coordination powers of groups like the IMS Forum and UNH-IOL to ensure success. We look forward to offering our IMS test and monitoring expertise to this and future IMS Forum Plugfest events."

As the Voice of IP Convergence, the IMS Forum is comprised of service providers, solutions providers, system integrators and government agencies translating industry standards into revenue generating services. Through its organized Plugfests, working group interaction, and other activities, Forum members are able to develop cost-effective technical frameworks for converged IP services over wireline, cable, 3G, WiFi and WiMAX networks.

For information on attending, testing or sponsoring the IMS Plugfest, please contact IMS Forum Program Manager, Debbie Hetland, at [e-mail] / 510-608-5907.

ABOUT THE IMS FORUM

The IMS Forum is a global, non-profit industry association devoted to interoperable IMS services and solutions. The mission of the Forum is to accelerate the adoption of IP Multimedia Subsystems (IMS) by providing an environment for discussion and resolution of real-world implementation issues relating to interoperability, best practices, and standards-based architectures in the application layer. In addition, the Forum will provide consultancy to the industry, service providers, and vendors on best practices and approaches for IMS rollouts and interconnectivity.

For additional information or to join the IMS Forum, please visit www.IMSForum.org.