Mobile World Congress 2008
NextPoint Delivers Latest Version of IPX Proxy
| Feb 12, 2008 | Carrier IP Telehony | Show Update
|
Analyst: Joe McGarvey
Current Perspective: Positive/Neutral
Vendor Importance: Moderate/High
Market Impact: Low/Moderate |
|
Event Summary
February 11, 2008 -- NextPoint announced the availability of its enhanced IP Multimedia Exchange (IMX), which supports the deployment of IP services based on IMS. The platform is in compliance with implementation agreements and standards from the 3GPP, ETSI-TISPAN, GSMA, and MSF. In addition, NextPoint announced the completion of interoperability testing of the IMX with carriers in Asia and Europe. The IMX product is based on third-generation software and incorporates session routing and ENUM functionality from NextPoint’s flagship session management product.
Analytical Summary
• Current Perspective: Slightly positive on NextPoint’s announcement of the availability of an enhanced version of its IP Multimedia Exchange (IMX), an SBC-like component of the GSMA-defined IP Packet Exchange (IPX), as the product will eventually play an important role in the end-to-end delivery of fixed-mobile convergence (FMX) applications. The immediate demand for a session management device (known as an IPX proxy) that helps to enable mobile and fixed carriers to exchange IMS-based traffic seamlessly is not clear. By announcing general availability of the IMX, as well as the completion of interoperability trials sponsored by the GSM Association (GSMA), NextPoint is indicating that it will be able to offer a viable solution when the market demand increases.
• Vendor Importance: Moderate to high to NextPoint, as the announcement enables the company to continue to claim mind share leadership in this sector of the SBC market. NextPoint, recently formed with the merger of NexTone and Reef Point, was the first major SBC maker to bring attention to the IPX initiative. The news also strengthens NextPoint’s overall FMC story, which had been primarily written by the Reef Point half of the business. The enhanced IMX, which was developed at NexTone, sends a message that the combined company offers a multi-faceted approach to mobile networking solutions.
• Market Impact: Low to moderate on the overall SBC and security gateway market, as the NextPoint announcement does not include any evidence that the new version of the IMX platform has attracted new customers. The IPX was originally designed to enable interoperability of IMS-traffic between mobile operators. With so few operators deploying services based on IMS at this point in time, rivals of NextPoint that have not introduced an IPX proxy will have significant opportunity to do so in the future.
CLIENTS ONLY
Current Perspective
Competitive Positives and Concerns
| Client access - Full report in Carrier IP Telephony | More information
Top
|
