August 26, 2005

Motorola and Nokia have announced separate partnerships with developers of advanced technologies.

Aiming to speed Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem rollouts, Motorola and Intel announced at the Intel Developer Forum a joint effort to create an IMS server proof of concept that will be shown in Intel Modular Communications Platforms Solution Centers around the world.

The companies said the proof of concept will showcase a pre-integrated open application-enabling platform from Motorola, including AdvancedTCA blades with dual low-voltage Intel Xeon processors and Intel IXP2850 network processors, carrier-grade Linux and Motorola's NetPlane high-service availability software.

"Having two of the industry's top players working together to endorse specific network capabilities will help facilitate the adoption of targeted IMS-based applications by carriers," said Rob Rich, executive vice president of The Yankee Group, an industry analyst firm.

"That this proof of concept is based on AdvancedTCA and carrier-grade Linux reinforces the fact that open industry standards have become the widely accepted future of telecom infrastructure.

The more closely the communications computing ecosystem works together, the sooner TEMs and carriers will be able to realize the full value of open industry standards such as AdvancedTCA."

Meanwhile, Nokia Corp. and Kineto Wireless announced that they plan to collaborate on convergence between fixed and mobile networks, with Nokia incorporating Kineto's UMA Network Controller into its network convergence solutions for wireline and wireless operators.

In addition, the companies are running Unlicensed Mobile Access trials with major operators and said they will collaborate on future network trials.

"Nokia's end-to-end convergence solutions-from network equipment to terminals to applications-aim to enhance the end user's mobile voice and data experiences as simply as possible," said Pekka Viirola, director of Convergence Network Systems at Nokia.

"With the rapid adoption of UMA as a 3GPP standard for cellular/Wi-Fi convergence, we are seeing tremendous demand for UMA products and services from operators," said Rick Gilbert, president and chief executive of Kineto.

In early June, Nokia announced that Saunalahti, a Finnish operator that holds a 10-percent share of the Finnish telecom market, would deploy a number of Nokia's convergence solutions, including UMA technology from Kineto, to offer services like Voice over Internet Protocol and multimedia to mobile and fixed telephony customers.

Terms of the partnerships were not disclosed.

Source: RCR News