The FIRST Report published on this topic ANYWHERE

If you are a mobile operator you probably regard Fixed Mobile Convergence as an effective way of increasing the functionality of the mobile handset and maintaining current ARPU levels. But if you are a fixed-line operator you are looking to FMC as a means of countering substitution and displacement trends. Do mobile operators need to be concerned about fixed competitors stealing their customers? Is the technology in-place and reliable enough to deal with call continuity and handover. visiongain tells you the answers to this and we tell you today.

A true FMC solution requires a reliable mechanism for calls to be handed between wireless and cellular networks seamlessly. UMA was the first, if limited, step in this direction. While UMA falls short on this front, Voice Call Continuity (VCC) has emerged as a viable handover technology that allows for the continuation of voice calls from the IMS domain to the circuit switched domain. Find out how VCC removes these and many other shortcomings of UMA technology by purchasing this report.

VCC is a SIP-centric approach to FMC, a technique that will allow SIP packets to be transported through a wireless network. Because VCC is based on SIP, it is likely that it will be used as a basis for the provision of multimedia handover in the future. As multimedia handover will play an important role in next generation telecoms networks, major players are adopting innovative approaches to implement it. Which vendors and operators are at the forefront of VCC and multimedia independent handover developments? What can you do to make sure you do not lose out to your competitors? This report will tell you.

VCC is being driven by both mobile operators and fixed telcos, eager to deploy an all-IP solution quickly. Trials are taking place now globally by vendors and operators. There are over 100 VCC trials taking place worldwide, and the first commercial deployments will happen in Q1 2007. visiongain also expects standards-compliant VCC enabled handsets to become commercially available by YE2007 - ARE YOU READY?

This is the first report published on this topic - providing in-depth insight into VCC and its role in IMS. It discusses VCC operation in detail and examines the market opportunities that arise through the enhancement of IMS with VCC handover technology. The progress of the standardisation specifications relating to IMS/VCC is provided and the strategies and products of various network and mobile client software vendors are also looked at. The report also analyses the importance and impact of 802.21 multimedia independent handover and 802.21 market developments.

This report answers key questions including:
* Where are the biggest opportunities for IMS/VCC services?
* How does VCC compare to UMA in terms of capability and characteristics?
* Which mobile operators will be the first to rollout VCC and how and when will deployments take place globally?
* How is VCC and 802.21 standardisation progressing?
* What are the benefits of deploying VCC and multimedia independent handover?
* How are handset issues related to VCC being resolved and when will VCC handsets reach critical mass?

Unique benefits to you when you order this report:
* Full searchable report when you buy the company or corporate editions
* Immediate access through our exclusive Reading Room
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* Primary research throughout. You will not find this information anywhere else
* Report stored in your reading room for ever
* Copies can be printed off for offline reading
* Packed with charts, analysis, figures, graphs and tables

If you buy one report this year make sure it is the report that will guarantee your success for the next few years. Order this report now.

Chapter 1 Introduction
1.1 Fixed-mobile convergence and substitution
Chart 1.1: Mobile-only households in selected countries, Q4 2005
Chart 1.2: Traffic originating on the fixed network, 2004-2005
1.1.2 Telcos are slowing erosion through bundled offerings
1.2.2 FMC opportunities for service providers
1.2 Scope of this Report

Chapter 2 UMA overview
2.1 Wireless unlicensed frequencies applied to cellular telephony
Table 2.1: Number of hotspots and users worldwide, 2005-2011
2.2 The UMA network controller
Figure 2.1: UMA network architecture
2.3 UMA market opportunities
2.4 UMA deployments
2.4.1 BT Fusion
2.4.2 TeliaSonera
2.4.3 Saunalahti
2.4.4 T-Mobile
2.4.5 Hello
2.4.6 Others

Chapter 3 IMS/VCC technical focus
3.1 IMS
3.2 SIP and SS7
Chart 3.1: SIP vs SS7 voice call traffic, 2007-2012
3.3 IMS network architecture
Table 3.1: Key IMS network components and their features
Figure 3.1: IMS network architecture
3.3.1 The Control layer
3.3.1.1 The proxy-cscf
3.3.1.2 The interrogating cscf
3.3.1.3 The serving cscf
3.3.2 The user layer
3.3.3 The application layer
3.3.3.1 The Home Subscriber Server
3.4 Why VCC is needed
Table 3.2: VCC market drivers
3.5 Comparative analysis of UMA and VCC
Chart 3.2: Percentage of mobile phone calls made from vicinity of wireless hotspot
Table 3.3: Comparison of VCC vs UMA strengths and weaknesses
3.6 VCC network elements
Figure 3.1: VCC network architecture
3.7 VCC and the IMS Controlled Static Approach (ICSA)
Table 3.4: Features of the ICSA approach
3.8 Customised Applications for Mobile network Enhanced Logic (CAMEL) and VCC
Table 3.5: Standards supported by each CAMEL phase
3.9 Example of VCC operation
Figure 3.2: Example of VCC handover functionality
3.10 VCC handover policy
Chart 3.3: IMS subscribers worldwide, 2006-2011
3.11 QoS in FMC networks
3.12 Billing in FMC
3.13 QoS during the VCC handover process
3.14 Multimedia Independent handover
Figure 3.3: The multimedia independent handover function
3.14.1 Enhancing VCC with multimedia independent handover

Chapter 4 The IMS/VCC standardisation progress
4.1 3GPP and the IMS
4.2 VCC Functionality and 3GPP Release 7
4.3 VCC supplementary services and 3GPPRelease 7
Table 4.1: Significant IMS/VCC features introduced by each 3GPP Release
4.4 3GPP Release 8
4.5 3GPP2 and the IMS
4.6 TISPAN
4.7 PacketCable
4.8 Summary of the works of standardisation bodies in relation to IMS/VCC
Table 4.2: Works of standardisation bodies in relation to IMS/VCC
4.9 Future aims of standardisation bodies
Figure 4.1: Future IMS-based telecoms networks

Chapter 5 IMS/VCC handsets
5.1 UMA handset forecast
5.1.1 A growing variety of handsets is increasing UMA's appeal
Chart 5.1: Global UMA handset shipments, 2006-2011
5.2 UMA subscriber forecast
Chart 5.2: Global UMA subscribers, 2006-2011
5.3 Available UMA handsets
Table 5.1: Available UMA handsets
5.4 UMA mobile client software
5.5 UMA handsets that support UMTS and WiMAX networks
5.6 SIP and UMA
5.7 IMS/VCC handsets
Chart 5.3: SIP-enabled global handset shipments, 2006-2011
Chart 5.4: IMS handset shipments, 2006-2011
Chart 5.5: VCC compliant handset shipments, 2006-2011
Chart 5.6: VCC subscribers worldwide, 2006-2011
5.8 Multimedia and dual-mode handset components and prices
Chart 5.7: Hardware components of multimedia handsets and share of total hardware costs (%)
5.9 IMS/VCC handset implementation issues
Table 5.2: IMS/VCC handset considerations
5.9.1 Battery Life
5.9.2 Complex RF environment
5.9.3 Powerful processors
5.9.4 Mobile VCC client software solutions
5.9.5 The VCC user experience
5.10 VCC mobile client software vendors
5.10.1 FirstHand Technologies
5.10.2 HelloSoft
5.10.3 Kyocera Wireless
5.10.3.1 Kyocera and NewStep Networks
5.11 Nokia VCC enabled handsets
5.12 Multimedia handoff and handsets
5.12.1 Vendor strategies on media independent handover
5.12.2 Potential of media independent handover

Chapter 6 VCC products and strategies
6.1 Nortel Networks
6.2 Alcatel
6.3 Siemens
6.3.1 Siemens and the Time Warner Cable trial
6.4 Motorola
6.5 Ericsson
6.6 VCC solution providers
Table 6.1: VCC vendor solutions
6.6.1 Bridgeport Networks
6.6.2 Outsmart
6.6.3 Telcordia
6.6.4 NewStep Networks
6.7 Longboard and multimedia handover
6.8 MobileIgnite
6.9 Vendor strategies to IMS/VCC
Table 6.2: VCC compliant services as defined by 3GPP
6.10 Operator strategies to IMS/VCC
6.10.1 Deployment timeline
Table 6.3: Global pre-VCC and VCC trials
Chart 6.1: VCC trials by service provider type
Chart 6.2: VCC deployments, 2007 and 2008
Chart 6.3: VCC trials by region
6.11 Summary of factors affecting rapid IMS/VCC deployment
Table 6.4: Barriers to IMS/VCC deployments
Table 6.3: Factors driving IMS/VCC deployments

Chapter 7 Market opportunities
7.1 General FMC/VCC market benefits
Chart 7.1: Number of 3G, GSM and Internet users by region
7.2 Residential benefits realised through the deployment of FMC/VCC technology
Table 7.1: Macrocells vs femtocells
7.3 Enterprise benefits realised through the deployment of IMS/VCC technology
Table 7.2: IP vs TDM/PCM PBX shipments (%), 2005-2011
7.4 Benefits wireless operators can realise through FMC/VCC
7.5 Benefits fixed line operators can realise through FMC/VCC
7.6 Benefits cable operators can realise through FMC/VCC
7.7 The North American Market for FMC/VCC
Table 7.1: Networks operated by US mobile operators
7.8 European Market for FMC/VCC
Chart 7.2: Western European mobile service revenues, 2002-2005

Chapter 8 Conclusions

Appendix A Lead author’s profile

Appendix B About visiongain

Appendix C Report evaluation form