New 4G mobile broadband offering enables video, voice and messaging conversations using any combination of device, screen or network.
Alcatel-Lucent is helping operators of 4G mobile broadband networks create a new conversation experience for their subscribers by introducing a technology innovation that allows users to switch between voice and video-calling, instant messaging and group calling and across a variety of devices – smartphone, tablet or PC.
Subscribers are provided with access to a unified contact list that establishes a single point with which to connect to people, regardless of where they are or what device they are using. The use of flash-capable web browser technology enables consumers to connect via video using virtually any PC or mobile internet device, so they don’t need to work out whether the person they are calling is using a compatible video service or device as they do currently.
The 4G Consumer Communications Solution also aims to improve the experience of multi-tasking while connected to a 4G network, providing features to assure the performance of particular services. Both voice and video are delivered in high definition (HD) giving them a high level of quality and immediacy.
Diane Myers, Directing Analyst for Infonetics Research, says: “Alcatel-Lucent’s 4G Consumer Communications Solution gives service providers the ability to harmonise conversations across telecom and the web, while moving conversations beyond just voice. These new services, combined with high levels of quality of experience, will enable operators to have clear differentiation from standalone application providers in the marketplace.”
At the heart of the 4G Consumer Communications solution is Alcatel-Lucent’s IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS). IMS is the open standards architecture that enables any kind of multimedia or telephony access between any kind of device, either fixed or broadband, serving as a hub for multimedia communications in 4G networks.
The solution also supports Alcatel-Lucent’s vision of ‘Application Enablement’, which aims to assist mobile operators work more effectively with application developers and content providers to create new services. By providing developers with access to Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), developers can maximise the power of IMS and combine those capabilities with web-based services. As a result, operators can take advantage of the vibrant and growing community of app developers to build appealing services for their subscribers.