The techs SMEs need for converged telecoms

UMA

The final piece in the FMC equation is how the fixed and mobile technologies integrate together. There are currently two different technology approaches that are being used to deliver FMC services. The two most significant are Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) and Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

UMA was the first widely available architecture and was used in early products such as BT's Fusion. The technology allows GSM mobile signals to be carried over other networks whether they are Bluetooth, wi-fi or fixed. Users are able to roam seamlessly between the networks with no intervention required. This means users starting a call in the office on wi-fi can leave the building and the call will automatically be handed over to the GSM networks with no user intervention required.

For businesses to benefit from these FMC services, employees need to be equipped with devices that meet the UMA standard, which are typically dual-mode wi-fi/GSM. UMA's main drawback is that it does not provide for any integration with the company's PBX, which means that services are mainly targeted at consumes and the smallest offices.

SIP

The other main choice for enterprises deploying FMC is solutions based on SIP. While UMA carries a GSM call over different networks, SIP is a mechanism for IP call control that can be used across all networks and is an integral part of the next generation core network technology called IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS).

SIP has already found its way into corporate IP PBXs and FMC solutions meaning SIP solutions should in theory be capable of integrating with existing infrastructure.

Early FMC solutions based on SIP are already available, most notably from Deutsche Telekom in Germany. Although the Deutsche Telekom service currently does not include live handover between different types of networks, this will be implemented in forthcoming releases.

As well as being an important element of premise-based solutions, SIP can also be used to deliver hosted versions of converged communications. These next-generation services are already available from operators worldwide, including France Telecom, Korea Telecom, Singtel, Sprint and Verizon. One of the companies responsible for developing these new hosted communications services is software company Broadsoft which uses IMS and SIP technology.

The Yankee Group believes UMA solutions will continue to be robust for the next 18 months but will enter a longer-term decline once IMS solutions mature. It predicts service providers which launched UMA services to capture early market share will eventually migrate over to IMS-based solutions.

Deutsche Telekom is confident this process is underway and told silicon.com SIP was the obvious choice for its service because it already has a fixed-line VoIP service in place.

Is it right for you?

Although the technology building blocks are in place for businesses to deploy FMC, businesses need to ensure that the savings they make from the fixed-line calls will justify the cost of deploying a solution.

Smaller businesses which have an existing high capacity broadband connection and wi-fi network can deploy a UMA solution now, however medium-sized businesses need to be more circumspect and probably should wait for the SIP solutions to be fully mature and more readily integrated with their PBX.