2015 IHS – Infonetics IMS (IP Multimedia Subystem) Vendor Scorecard profiles and analyzes the six top revenue producers of core IP Multimedia Subsystem network solutions: Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson, Huawei, Mavenir, Nokia Networks and ZTE.

The only report of its kind, IHS’ IMS scorecard evaluates the leading IMS vendors on criteria using actual data and metrics, including market presence (market share, financials, solution breadth and buyer feedback on product reliability and service/support) and market momentum (market share momentum, NFV intensity, buyer feedback on vendors’ technology innovation). The report includes a Leadership Landscape Graph that classifies vendors as “Leader,” “Established” or “Challenger” based on their scores in these criteria. This approach eliminates subjectivity and ensures vendors are assessed accurately and fairly.

Quotes from Diane Myers, research director for VoIP, UC and IMS at IHS-Infonetics:

“IMS has been chosen by mobile operators as the core network for VoLTE deployments which has ramped shipments over the past 2 years as operators in the US, Japan, and South Korea ramped up for their launches.  The IMS has been steadily growing for a number of years as operators worldwide, including cable MSOs, utilized it for fixed-line VoIP services but the sales volumes are significantly larger with VoLTE. The IMS market including SBCs grew 72% in CY13 as sales related to VoLTE kicked in and took volumes to a whole new level and grew 18% in CY14.   We expect sales of IMS and SBCs to be $3.6B in CY15.”

IMS VENDOR SCORECARD HIGHLIGHTS:

• Ericsson’s market share, strong customer perceptions and deep relationships with mobile operators is helping it take advantage of the voice over LTE opportunity.
• Huawei has built market share through fixed-line VoIP networks using IMS and is positioned to capture the next wave of IMS spending related to VoLTE.
• Long a top vendor in the service provider VoIP market, Nokia Networks should further boost market presence via its merger with Alcatel-Lucent.
• Alcatel-Lucent is the third-largest IMS vendor, has above-average market share, scores above average for product reliability and service and support by service providers, and is at the forefront of developing IMS virtualized network functions.
• The smallest IMS vendor in the group, Mavenir is viewed by service providers as a top innovator that’s been able to steadily gain market share by focusing almost exclusively on mobile operators.
• Well established in its home country of China, ZTE has built a growing IMS business with cost-effective solutions that are appealing to operators in developing countries.

UPCOMING IHS INFONETICS SCORECARDS:

 IHS is publishing 15 vendor scorecards in 2015 on markets ranging from telecom and enterprise networking equipment to carrier WiFi, network security, LTE infrastructure, cloud unified communications and more.

To purchase reports, please visit www.infonetics.com/contact.asp, or learn more about the scorecards at www.infonetics.com/research.asp?cvg=Equipmentvendorscorecards.

RELATED RESEARCH:
Service Providers Optimistic about Moving IMS Networks to NFV, Rate Vendors:
http://www.infonetics.com/pr/2015/IMS-Survey-Highlights.asp

IHS-Infonetics conducted in-depth interviews with global service providers that have IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) core equipment in their networks or will by the end of 2017 and discovered that only 8 percent are running IMS network elements in a network functions virtualization (NFV) environment today.

“Though only a small number of service providers who took part in our IMS strategies survey are currently running IMS in a virtualized environment, more are on the path by starting to utilize software running on commercial off-the-shelf hardware as a stepping stone to full NFV,” said Diane Myers, research director for VoIP, UC and IMS at IHS.  

“One of the biggest drivers for NFV is the ability to scale services up and down quickly and introduce new network services more efficiently and in a timely manner, which makes IMS a good early fit for NFV,” Myers said. 

Carrier Voice-over-IP Market Off to Strong Start in 2015:
http://www.infonetics.com/pr/2015/1Q15-Service-Provider-VoIP-and-IMS-Market-Highlights.asp

To purchase IHS-Infonetics report(s), please visit www.infonetics.com/contact.asp