Telecommunications carriers currently have billions of dollars invested in IN equipment and applications, and they are facing a broad new horizon of technology. While true IMS continues to elude most, all recognize the need to begin the transition to IP based networks. Of course, the challenges of this migration are myriad, but a particularly difficult one awaits in service brokering.

Within a pure IMS network, the service broker function is fairly straightforward. By maintaining visibility of user and service profiles in the HSS, the service broker can blend, prioritize, and orchestrate all the applications available in the network to manage existing services as well as to create new ones. However, in a converged network where some services are available on the IMS side in the form of SIP Application Servers and others reside in the legacy network SCPs, the demands on the service broker are much more complicated.

Cirries has removed concern for the complications by introducing the Hybrid SCIM. The Hybrid SCIM concept is designed to supplement a complete service orchestration environment comprising a SIP Servlet container in the overall Service Broker role and a low-latency, highly reliable SS7 portal to control low level IN functions. In this way, the Hybrid SCIM can broker all services in the converged network since it retains awareness of all the SIP App Servers per standard IMS architecture and all legacy services via its link through the SS7 portal to the SCPs. Thus the Hybrid SCIM gives the user complete control of all service interactions and protocol related functions.

In order to design and implement a Hybrid SCIM, developers need to grasp the entire system at once. Because maintaining such an abstract structure in one’s mind while coding is so difficult, Cirries has created the CIPHER Compose environment in which the user uses graphical tools to draw the sequences that comprise the Hybrid SCIM and then automatically generates code that reflects their design.

Through CIPHER Compose, a user can import protocols, define call flows, protocol specific state machines, and design protocol mapping rules. Thus Compose provides the user with the ability to manage the interaction between legacy protocols and their contingent service offerings. Moreover, by permitting the user to control the way legacy protocols are mapped into SIP or other IMS protocols, Compose performs a key role in enabling Legacy/NGN SCIM function.

In short, with the CIPHER Hybrid SCIM solution, service providers can deliver services in both the legacy and IMS domains while reducing time-to-market (TTM) and development costs, resulting in dramatic improvement of ROI, the deployment of more revenue producing services and a reduction in churn.

Delivering Legacy Services for SIP Networks

The CIPHER legacy to SIP Services Hybrid SCIM solution allows for the delivery of legacy services in SIP networks. With this solution, operators that are using the newer SIP networks can use the network to leverage their existing deployed services towards their SIP-based subscribers.

Delivering SIP Services for IN/Legacy Networks

The CIPHER SIP Services to legacy network Hybrid SCIM solution allows for the delivery of SIP services in legacy networks. Using this solution, operators can deploy SIP/IMS based platforms for delivering services to the legacy domain. By deploying these services for the legacy networks, operators can leverage their critical investments in existing legacy networks, while increasing their revenue and ROI by extending these SIP-based services to existing subscribers.

Converged Network SCIM

The CIPHER Hybrid SCIM solution for converged networks allows for multiple services for a single call across any network. In this solution, the CIPHER Hybrid SCIM solution acts as a service interaction layer, allowing for services to be delivered from both the SIP and legacy domains. With this capability, subscribers will be able to use SIP and legacy services from multiple platforms.