Migrating to VoIP and IP-based Messaging Systems Some key considerations for carriers preparing to offer existing and new messaging services across traditional wireline, wireless, and the new IP-based networks. For carriers, VoIP helps deliver new revenue sources and a competitive differentiation. This white paper addresses issues involved in the migration of traditional messaging systems to IP-based systems including: Challenges facing carriers when deploying VoIP Deploying and integrating hybrid infrastructures consisting of traditional and IP-based messaging systems Use of the SIP protocol Key questions including legacy system adaptation, working with content providers, and the impact of migration on operations systems.
Contents Introduction The Challenges...3 Evolution, Not Revolution...3 Hybrid Messaging Platforms...3 Technical Challenges...4 Meeting the Challenge of the Hybrid Network...4 Mediation Systems...4 SIP to the Rescue...5 Migration and Consolidation...5 Legacy adaptation...6 Coping with multiple content providers...6 Adapting Operations Systems...6 The End Game...7 Migrating to IP A Checklist for Carriers...8 References and Sources...9 About the Author...9 2
Introduction The Challenges The promise of substantial costs savings, new, innovative IP-based applications, and a favorable regulatory environment for IP-based services, has resulted in mounting interest in VoIP on the part of carriers, enterprises, and consumers. For carriers, VoIP promises new sources of revenue, competitive differentiation, and reduced churn. But like all new technologies, it has its share of problems and potential hazards. Evolution, Not Revolution For example, despite the enthusiastic reception VoIP is receiving, any attempt to summarily rip and replace traditional PSTN/wireline and wireless services with the newer technology could lead to disaster. Voice, whether in the form of VoIP or over traditional networks is, after all, only one type of popular messaging service. Over the years, ongoing technological enhancements have made more traditional messaging and applications platforms, along with their associated systems and networks, an important and profitable investment for the carriers. A precipitous rush to all IP-based messaging services is likely to result in customer defection and a substantial decrease in revenues. Even though its low cost and its ability to support new and inventive applications make VoIP highly attractive, it will be a very long process for the huge traditional network embedded base to move to an IP-based network. Traditional users of both wireless and wireline services will continue to use their existing network services for many years to come. These users fall into a continuum ranging from traditional voice mail customers, based in the home or office, who have no need for new services, to highly mobile, power Web-centric/data centric users who expect everything to work everywhere. All these customers will expect their VoIP messaging services to connect and interoperate with their traditional wireline and wireless services. In addition, the Americans with Disabilities Act and other mandated requirements to meet the needs of handicapped users have to be taken into consideration. These users have become dependent on the simple interface and ease-of-use of traditional voice and TTD systems. Until IPbased services provide applications and features that significantly improve the lives of handicapped users, the traditional systems will remain in place. Hybrid Messaging Platforms For all these reasons, it seems obvious that, for the time being, the carriers are going to be living in two separate but interconnected worlds. On one hand, traditional platforms and infrastructures will continue to provide messaging services and applications for some time to come. At the same time, VoIP will continue to grow rapidly worldwide and not just because of the attractive cost savings in installation, operation and administration of packet-oriented data networks. More importantly, this new technology allows carriers to leverage the combination of voice, data, multimedia, and messaging services to meet rapid changes in the consumer and enterprise markets what Lucent calls Value over IP. 3
Technical Challenges In addition to user-related issues, the carriers have to overcome a number of technical hurdles related to supporting both traditional and IP-based networks. For example, traditional control and messaging functions are managed by service logic that is embedded in the network switch. However, IP calls are controlled by SIP (Session Initiation Protocol), which may be embedded in both the end-user computing device as well as network session control and application servers. The challenge facing carriers is how to deploy a messaging platform that interoperates with both kinds of controllers. Another different, but related set of problems will surface as the carriers begin their inevitable migration to a predominately IP infrastructure. There are issues here that relate to the impact of IP on operations systems and other backend systems, as well as customerfacing systems and applications. Meeting the Challenge of the Hybrid Network Deploying and integrating a hybrid system, although complicated, may not be as difficult as it initially appears. The fact is that messaging platforms are simply computer systems with content and functionality that users want to access. How the user initially connects to the network and the network type make no difference to the messaging platform. The platform s function is to simply respond, retrieve, package, send, or playback the content that is stored on its local media and/or exercise the software function requested by the user. Mediation Systems Working with a third party integrator, carriers are able to develop mediation systems that are located at the edge. These systems translate between the different connection protocols and varying presentation requirements of IP-based clients and the protocols associated with traditional handsets and terminals. The mediation solution sits between the messaging platform and the different network types. Another approach is a custom software application solution that resides on the messaging platform itself and connects to the various network interface cards. Properly implemented, both solutions ensure that IP network users have the capability to access messaging services from systems that reside on both IP and traditional networks. 4
SIP to the Rescue SIP plays a major role in implementing these hybrid systems. Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is an Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) proposed standard for setting up sessions between one or more clients. It is currently the leading signaling protocol for VoIP, gradually replacing H.323 in this role. SIP will be the method of choice to initiate IP end-user access to any network service. When SIP interfaces are added to PSTN-based messaging platforms to provide an accessible service point to VoIP networks, the move to IP will accelerate. But this is not (yet) the death knell for traditional embedded messaging systems. Traditional systems are nowhere near the end of their life cycle and will continue to be developed and enhanced. For example, despite growing use of the Internet for personal banking services, the timetested bank-by-telephone approach continues to be a popular service. Also, HMOs continue to use their traditional telephone systems to provide their patients with voice mail reminders and helpful information tips. So, for the time being, carriers should be looking for solutions that allow parallel development and enhancement of both IP and non-ip-based voices services including the deployment of integrated service synchronization and consolidation systems. The idea is to make sure that end-users, whether or not they are connected to an IP network, are able to access all their services through a single, convenient handset-level interface. Migration and Consolidation Given the many advantages of IP-based systems, it is inevitable that over time carriers will choose to phase out their traditional systems. They can begin now to plan and implement a phased migration to the consolidated, integrated, IP-centric messaging platforms that represent the next wave of telephony. By having this process underway, the carrier s IT organization will be able to respond quickly and positively should the acceptance of VoIP happen more quickly than the industry anticipates, or if senior management decides for competitive or investment reasons to replace the carrier s traditional messaging platform sooner than expected. A major concern for carriers involved in the migration to IP is when and how to consolidate multiple service platforms deployed on different types of networks, while at the same time, continuing to support legacy messaging systems whose life cycles have been prolonged by innovative, adaptive solutions. Migration and conversion services that support the move of legacy systems to the new IP-based service platforms are essential. Old services technologies are often dependent on a switch-based SS7 serviced logic component. The conversion procedure must adapt the service logic s user content to an IP-based computing platform that uses SIP as the session protocol. Some of the key issues that a carrier should address when planning the move to IP messaging services include legacy adaptation, coping with multiple content providers and adapting operations systems. 5
Legacy adaptation Although migration to an IP-based messaging platform is an important architectural issue to the carrier, the whole process should be invisible to the end-user. Among the carrier s up-front considerations are the selection of a service vendor and developing the most effective tools and processes to execute the migration without any disruption of service. Initially, the hybrid network approach will allow continued operation of the messaging service in multiple networks. At the same time, it supports the eventual expansion and adoption of the converged IP network as the preferred access point. Messaging Service Consolidation Phase 1 Conversion Interpolation PSTN GSM/CDMA IP Mediation Figure 1 Coping with multiple content providers As the migration to IP networks proceeds, carriers will increasingly partner with content providers to provide new revenue-generating applications. These applications will take advantage of the customer s desire and willingness to flexibly customize the client experience at the handset level. In other instances, the migration will include using the IP-based platform to emulate traditional messaging services rather than replacing these services with IP enhancements. These applications will be developed at the handset level using technologies such as Java and BREW. They will include relatively simple back-end content delivery and consolidation to handset-based applications via XML, VXML, and back-end Java end-toend applications servers. For example, traditional voice mail messages can be encoded as database records, rather than exist as a collection of indexed binary playback files. Adapting Operations Systems Migration has downstream, back-end consequences. The carrier s operations systems may have to be adapted to manage the transition to IP and realize the maximum benefits from the adoption of the new technology. Migration plans must ensure that back-end functions, such as billing and customer care, continue to operate without interruption. Typically, these functions do not impact subscriber network choice, so it is not necessary 6
to integrate them into a pure VoIP network. What is crucial is to ensure that VoIP network events are captured, forwarded, and continue to be processed by the back-end IT systems. Like the transition from wireline to wireline/wireless, which preserved existing back-end systems, the move to IP must include the adaptation and preservation of legacy back-ends. To integrate the operations systems with the front-end IP-based messaging systems, the legacy IT systems may have to be upgraded to be more IPcentric in their data exchange capabilities. They will also have to accommodate the fact that user initiated access is via SIP. The user end point generally initiates the SIP session. The role of the IP network is merely to maintain a secure access tunnel over IP to the service end point. This requires, for example, that messaging databases and repositories, while not SIP-enabled, need to have SIP-centric servers as front-ends. In order to track subscriber acceptance of new or migrated IP-based services, the carrier will need tools and techniques to track service inventory across all networks whether IP-based or legacy. Therefore, operations systems will have to be adapted to make sure the wholesale transfers of lines and subscriber address translations are tracked during the migration. The End Game Messaging Service Consolidation Phase 2 PSTN GSM/CDMA IP Mediation Mediation Figure 2 As the carriers move from hybrid to pure IP-based networks, the economic benefits to their customers of being able to route the enterprise s entire communications over a single, packet-oriented network could be substantial. But beyond helping save their customers money, migrating to IP will allow the carriers to combine voice, data, multimedia, and messaging in new and innovative ways. For example, Bell Labs has developed tools for continual real-time communications over IP such as telephony and streaming video. Carriers that are first to market with these new services will gain a competitive advantage that goes far beyond cost considerations. This a major incentive to begin the migration process now, with the eventual goal of establishing a pure IP-based network. 7
Migrating to IP A Checklist for Carriers Below are some strategic issues for carriers to consider as they migrate first to hybrid IP/traditional messaging and then transition to pure IPbased services. Establish relationships with product and service vendors that encourage free and continuing solution discussions. These discussions should generate the maximum number of options to migrate, adapt, preserve, or replace existing messaging systems. Look for vendors that have an established track record in migrating messaging services from legacy platforms and legacy networks to new platforms and networks. Determine that the service vendor is experienced in developing migration tools that automate the process as much as possible. Because messaging relies on networking, service vendors must have the capability and experience necessary to manage the redirection and translation of voice lines to a new or recently adapted messaging system. Also, the vendor should be able to ensure that downstream updates are communicated to subscriber management and network inventory systems. Ongoing enrichment of integrated messaging-based applications at the handset level is necessary for continued customer loyalty and revenue generation. The service vendor should know how to develop new applications that are compatible with existing as well as evolving messaging standards and technologies. Service vendor capabilities should include the ability to ensure that network-independent back-end functions remain uninterrupted during and after the migration. This includes the development and installation of translation gateways to ensure that IP-centric events follow expected telecommunications event and transaction formats. 8
References and Sources 1. FCC Web Site http://www.fcc.gov/3g/ 2. Ralph, Daniel & Graham, Paul, MMS Technologies, Usage and Business Models, John Wiley and Sons, 2004. 3. Lucas, Matthew, The good news and the bad news, editorial from Billing and OSS World Today, August 2004, vol 10 no. 8. 4. Bannister, Jeffrey et al, Convergence Technologies for 3G Networks IP, UMTS, EGPRS and ATM, John Wiley & Sons, 2004 5. IEC Web Site, tutorial on IN-IP integration Interworking Switched Voice Networks and VOIP Networks http://www.iec.org/online/tutorials/ip_in/topic01.html 6. IETF, The SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) Working Group s Charter Web page: http://ietf.org/html.charters/sip-charter.html About the Author Anatole Sykley Lucent Technologies Lucent Worldwide Services Anatole has been with Lucent Technologies since 1999. Currently, Anatole is a senior consultant and manager of a software integration team specializing in provisioning automation tools and solutions. Anatole holds masters degrees from La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia and Lesley College, Cambridge, MA. To learn more about our comprehensive portfolio, please contact your Lucent Technologies Sales Representative. Visit our web site at www.lucent.com. This document is for planning purposes only, and is not intended to modify or supplement any Lucent Technologies specifications or warranties relating to these products or services. The publication of information in this document does not imply freedom from patent or other protective rights of Lucent Technologies or others. Copyright 2004 Lucent Technologies Inc. All rights reserved. LWS VoIP 11/04