The availability of DSL and cable broadband access has already led to tremendous success for Voice over IP (VoIP) service providers worldwide. With the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), telecom operators can now offer their customers not just VoIP but universal access to blended VoIP and IP data services.

A typical service example is dual-mode telephony, where subscribers use a single mobile device with a single telephone number for calls via, for example, their WLAN modem at home, and a GSM network for other calls. The IMS-based system selects the best connection to the network, and also provides enabling applications for location, presence, messaging and other services. Additional revenue-generating services may also include entertainment, video telephony, and collaboration services such as conferencing or hosted office applications. "The FMC solution is based on standards from 3GGP and ETSI/TISPAN, which are the major standardization bodies in mobile and fixed telecoms," says Andreas Müller-Schubert, President Fixed Networks Solutions at Siemens Communications. "Its open, SIP-based architecture with a clear separation of applications from commonly used core functions aims to minimize the costs of introducing new services. New applications can be tested in the market at low risk, as investment in core IMS infrastructure and enabling services is protected if an application is phased out and replaced." Operators that already deploy NGN in fixed networks or IMS in mobile networks today are expected to be the first to offer fixed-mobile convergence services, as they require only a few additional components in order to add converged services to their offerings.

The conference will take place on Thursday, December 8, 2005, at the Langham Hotel in London.
The Siemens Communications Group is one of the largest players in the global telecommunications industry. The company offers a full-line portfolio of innovative solutions for voice and data communication. Its comprehensive offerings range from devices right through to complex network infrastructures and services for wireless, fixed and enterprise networks. It is the largest Group within the Siemens organization and operates in more than 160 countries around the world. In fiscal 2005 (September 30), its 54,500-strong workforce posted sales of over 13 billion euros.