FMC solution

Telecom convergence on IP networks has been underway for at least a decade, as both carriers and entrprise have sought to replace separate,single purpose infrastructures with integrated,multi service ones.This is evolution is reflected in the convergence of voice and data in enterprise campus IP telephony,consumer VoIP services and local carroer Digital SUbscriber Line (DSL) services.FMC merges service in the fixed line and mobile telecom worlds,as exemplified by voice roaming between a cellular network and a campus voice enable WLAN.
In its ultimate form,FMC reflects a true integration of underlying network and aasociated management infrastructures.But there are several interim steps in the way to the most seamless form of FMC

Broadly speaking,carriers rollouts of converged services begin with simple service bundling,followed by real integration of underlaying network infrastructure,followed by integration in operations support system (OSS). The baby step of carrier servies bundling can be taken without any techincal integration between the fixed and the mobile network, and only a consolidation of previously separate customer interface, e.g, single sales contact instead of two; an integrated support and help desk function and single bill for both mobile and fixed services.

The customers get some modest benefits in terms of consolidated purchasing and discounting leverage as well as fewer carriers to deal with.The carriers get some modest uptick in customer retention and can market its entry into FMC. Such service bundling is already taking place today,but that barely scratches the surface of FMC's potential

The benefits of FMC appear much more compelling to both the enterprise customer and the carrier once the underlying fixed and mobile telecom infrastructures - plus OSS functions for management, provisioning and billing - begin to converge.

The evolution toward true FMC service is projected to proceed through five major phases:

1. Phase 1: Basic network infrastructure convergence

already well underway.The carrier consolidates voice traffic onto its IP WAN using VoIP and the enterprise begins moving its campus voice service to some form of IP telephony, often using a hybrid approach than combines Time Divission Multuplexing (TDM) and VoIP.The main benefits are cost savings through reduction in capital expenditures for network infrastructure for network infrastructure and in operating expenses to maintain it

2. Phase 2: Addition of enterprise wireless LANs, followed by voice over WLANs

Party to well underway at most large enterprise. Enterprise WLANs move from limited deployments serving nomadic users in conference room and lobbies to ubiquitous campu wide coverage, serving as the primay means of network acccess for all users.Greater integration of wire and wireless LAN infrastructure begins , e.g the use of common authentication mechanisms and endpoint security plociy is enforced for both wired and wirelss LAN users,thus deploying voice over the WLAN

3. Phase 3: Early managed FMC services

were underway as of 2006. Carriers and carrier partnership begin to roll out the first managed FMC services, providing mobile users with the ability to roam seamlessly between cellular netwrok and enterprise voice enable WLANs, using dual mode handsets or PDAs equipmed with both Wi-Fi and 3G radios

4. Phase 4: Tighter integration of fixed and mobile network infrastructure and back office system

Begin in late 2007, with broader adoption expected in the beginning of 2009. FMC carriers and their partners began to functionally converge their network signaling and back office system. Consolidation of formely separate control paths for service setup and feature delivery enable new services beyond cellular to voice - over - WLAN roaming - e.g, push to talk voice and application like instant message that exploit a user's presence and availability profile

5. Phase 5: High value FMC application delivery

As the undustry matures and accelerates through 2011. With a truly integrated, multimedia infrastructure in place that supports any combination of information types, end device and access technologies, FMC providers begin to focus their efforts to developing new application services. They take further advantage of converged network' presence awareness, effectively delivering services to specific persons rather than device or via specific access networks.

Providers begin creatively mixing and matching once disparate services - voice, audio conferencing, video, video conferencing, text based instant messaging, email, games, SIP enabled conferencing and collaboration, broadcast video and audio - to serve an array of new applications and end user needs