Aricent and IMS Forum Launch the Industry’s First Collaborative Repository for Next Generation Equipment and Service Testing
Global Resource Designed to Reduce Testing Cycles, Complexity and Cost; Accelerate Time to Market for NGN Equipment and Services
Palo Alto, Calif., April 28, 2009 — IMS Forum, the only industry association dedicated to interoperability and certification of IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) and Next Generation Networks (NGN) applications and services, and Aricent, a global innovation, technology and service company focused exclusively on communications, today announced the launch of www.TestNGN.org. The www.TestNGN.org site hosts an industry-wide collaborative platform of comprehensive test cases for the validation of IMS and NGN equipment and services.
www.TestNGN.org offers the industry’s first community-based, open repository for NGN testing that allows network equipment manufacturers and service providers to significantly reduce the time, complexity, and cost required to introduce next generation networks and services, including equipment such as multimedia gateways, home subscriber and application servers, and services including voice and multimedia over IP, converged Web-telephony services and IPTV.
The repository will allow equipment manufacturers and service providers to download, post and share global testing experiences, quickly creating a high value knowledge base. This approach will help minimize the time spent on test case development, planning, writing and preparation, and accelerate the testing cycle for NGN architectures while reducing complexity and time to market.
“There is increased competition in the consumer and enterprise multimedia markets, with an urgent need for NGN equipment manufacturers and service providers to get new products and services to market quickly,” said Michael Khalilian, chairman of the IMS Forum and NGN Forum. “This joint effort between Aricent and the IMS and NGN Forum, complements our landmark IMS Plugfest™ interoperability events. With easy access to downloadable test cases, equipment manufacturers will reduce their testing times and be assured of consistent compliance with the latest standards. Service providers will benefit from the ability to carry out their own end-to-end testing, and will be able to swiftly verify vendor assurances of NGN compliance testing. This site was designed to provide a major addition to the multivendor, multinetwork environment created for our IMS NGN Plugfest interoperability test events to further accelerate the deployment of Next Generation Services and Networks.”
The IMS Forum’s TestNGN and Interoperability Working groups are focused respectively on the product interoperability, reliability and operational and management issues associated with converged IMS and NGN applications and services delivered over wireless (3G, LTE), wireline (DSL, optical) and cable broadband. The groups ensure that converged applications and the vehicles which deliver such services will be timely and well supported from a provisioning, billing and management systems perspective.
Aricent has developed an extensive NGN testing practice, employing more than 1,600 test engineers and test consultants. The practice has over 70,000 test cases for wireless, VoIP and IMS, all designed to speed the worldwide delivery of Next Generation Networks.
“We are proud to be working closely with the IMS and NGN Forums to co-develop an innovative method of accelerating the standardized introduction of cutting-edge NGN products and services,” explained CP Murali, senior vice president at Aricent. “Access to the professionally managed NGN test cases benefits both equipment manufacturers and services providers. This should lead to reduced development times for the whole NGN industry.”
For more information about the Aricent NGN testing practice, visit: http://www.aricent.com/services/testing_services.html. For more information on the IMS Plugfest visit www.imsforum.org.
Keywords & tags: next generation network, NGN Forum, NGN Testing, testing practice, IMS forum
About the NGN ForumTM and IMS Forum®
The NGN/IMS Forum is the only global telecommunications association devoted to Next Generation Networks (NGN) service delivery and interoperable IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) services architectures and solutions. The Forum’s mission is to enable delivery of M-playTM: rich multimedia, mobility and fixed services over wireline, cable, GSM, UMTS, Wi-Fi, WiMAX, LTE and fiber broadband networks. The Forum is the creator and organizer of the IMS PlugfestsTM and NGN PlugfestsTM, the industry’s only events focused on verification and certification of IMS and NGN service interoperability through the IMS CertifiedTM and NGN CertifiedTM programs. Through organized Plugfests, technical working groups and other activities, Forum members develop cost-effective technical frameworks for revenue generating converged IP NGN solutions.
The combined organizations include over 2000 executives and technical, business development and marketing professionals from global and emerging equipment vendors, solution providers, integrators, service providers, and governmental agencies. For additional information or to join the NGN Forum, IMS Forum, the IMS Plugfest, and/or the NGN Plugfest, please visit www.IMSforum.org or www.NGNforum.org.
About Aricent
Aricent is a global innovation, technology and outsourcing company focused exclusively on communications. Aricent combines the leading innovation capabilities of frog design with unparalleled domain expertise in communications gained as a strategic supplier to the world’s foremost infrastructure, application and service providers. The company is owned by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., Sequoia Capital and Flextronics International Ltd. and has more than 550 clients worldwide. For more information, visit www.aricent.com.
Aricent is a trademark of Aricent Inc. in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
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For further information, contact
Cathy Clarke
NGN Forum media relations
Tel: +1 508 833-8533
Email: pr@imsforum.org
Steven Manuel
Aricent
Tel: +1 650 391 1621
Email: steven.manuel@aricent.com
Chris Lalli
Aricent Americas: Cohn & Wolfe
Tel: +1 415 365 8540
Email: chris.lalli@cohnwolfe.com
Paula Muezerie
Aricent Europe: AxiCom
Tel: +44 208 392 4081
Email: aricent@axicom.com
Shikha Singh Sehrawat
Aricent India: Text 100
Tel: +91 989 107 1999
Email: shikhas@text100.co.in
