Lucent recently unveiled a system designed to enable wireless operators to offer VoIP and IP-based multimedia services.

Called Accelerate IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), the system combines gear from Lucent and its partners, including Cisco, IBM and BroadSoft. IMS is targeted at operators of 3G wireless networks designed for data-centric applications.

IMS is based on IP core network standards that have been developed by the 3G Partnership Project and 3GPP2, industry bodies that are responsible for the establishment of 3G standards. At the heart of the IMS system is the Lucent Softswitch, a platform that manages voice and multimedia communications on IP networks.

Another element is Lucent's Super Distributed Home Location Register (S-DHLR), which maintains information such as subscriber profiles and user location on mobile networks. The S-DHLR enables the creation of one subscriber profile for each customer and all the services the customer uses, in contrast to the traditional method of maintaining individual subscriber databases for each service, Lucent says.

A third component is Lucent's MiLife applications suite, which personalizes service delivery and billing.

Among the non-Lucent components of IMS is Cisco's MGX 8000 series Media Gateways. These ATM-based switches let mobile wireless operators trunk voice between their mobile switching centers over a packet network instead of over leased lines. Cisco says this can reduce voice trunking costs by up to 80%.

IMS also includes IBM's WebSphere middleware, eServer BladeCenter servers and Service Provider Delivery Environment framework and applications. Support for WebSphere in IMS ostensibly will tie those applications into wireless VoIP and multimedia services. IBM also has a WebSphere development environment for telecom applications, and Lucent says the two companies are working on fostering interoperability between that and IMS.

IMS also supports a number of third-party applications, including BroadWorks from BroadSoft, an integrated suite of hosted PBX, IP Centrex, residential broadband and collaborative conferencing applications.

According to analysts, although the roster of IMS components and contributors appears comprehensive, it could cause confusion - and might not be new.