Tatara Systems and 3Way Networks today announced a partnership to jointly market and collaborate on an all-IP based femtocell convergence solution for mobile operators. The solution, comprised of Tatara's Mobile Services Convergence Portfolio and 3Way's Home Base Station, will address the critical areas of voice and messaging convergence, security, and enhanced services.
A femtocell, also known as a 3G access point, is a low-cost, low-power cellular base station that provides improved indoor coverage while backhauling the cellular traffic over a broadband connection. Femtocells are designed to work with existing mobile handsets and can support multiple users in a home environment. Over the long-term, femtocells also present an opportunity to develop new mobile services for the home that take advantage of low-cost, high-speed internet access. According to ABI Research, there will be 102 million users of femtocell products on 32 million access points worldwide by 2011. The majority of these deployments will be based on the all-IP architecture.
An all-IP approach to core network integration for femtocells is a superior approach to other legacy radio access network based approaches on a number of levels. The all-IP architecture utilizes standard communication protocols (i.e. SIP) and interfaces directly with the IP-based core network. This allows service providers to immediately achieve the end-to-end cost and service advantages that only an all-IP approach can deliver rather than being constrained by the historical limitations of traditional radio access network based solutions. The all-IP approach provides all of the existing mobile services plus enhanced IP services, wireline service convergence, reduction in network cost, seamless evolution to IMS, and load reduction on the mobile core network.
"Tatara and 3Way share the same vision that the all-IP approach provides true femtocell convergence for mobile operators, stated Simon Albury, Managing Director of 3Way Networks. "We are pleased to find a partner that complements 3Way Networks enabling a complete all-IP solution to our customers. We are looking forward to working together on a number of operator pilot deployments in the coming months.
The key to mass-market adoption of the all-IP femtocell architecture is the interface between the femtocell and the core network. Tatara and 3Way have agreed to jointly market and collaborate on an all-IP solution including interoperability of Tatara's femtocell-focused fixed mobile convergence (FMC) application server (the Tatara Convergence Server) and Tatara's 3GPP/2 AAA Server (the Tatara Subscriber Gateway) with 3Way's 3G access point (the 3Way Home Base Station).
"Core network integration issues are critical for any operator considering a femtocell launch," noted Peter Jarich, Principal Analyst with Current Analysis. "An all-IP architecture like the 3Way and Tatara offering makes a great deal of sense for service providers, particularly given the move to IMS in the core."
"The market has declared femtocell to be the most promising FMC strategy for mobile operators stated Steve Nicolle, President and CEO of Tatara Systems. "We are thrilled to be working with 3Way, a recognized leader in femtocell product development, to ensure an end-to-end solution that delivers on that promise.
At 3GSM World Congress 2007, please visit Tatara Systems in Stand #1G36 and 3Way Networks in Stand #AV106.
About Tatara Systems
Tatara Systems invents, develops, and deploys convergence products for service providers allowing them to offer converged mobile services to their subscribers across the widest base of available end-user devices (i.e. PCs and current mobile phones). Tatara's fixed-mobile convergence strategy is focused on femtocell convergence as a powerful FMC approach for mobile operators that takes advantage of current cellular handsets to provide improved coverage and IP-based voice and data services via an economical in-home cellular access point. Tatara's products also enable the industry's broadest set of PC convergence solutions, from a mobile broadband service to advanced services, like a PC mobile softphone or intelligent content delivery. Tatara is proud to count some of the industry's largest operators as customers of its award-winning Tatara Mobile Services Convergence Portfolio of products. For more information, visit www.tatarasystems.com
About 3Way Networks
3Way Networks was founded in 2004 to develop a range of 3G wireless infrastructure solutions for the Military, Aviation, Maritime and Mobile Operator markets. The company has now developed an integrated UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) home base station solution. 3Way Networks is a privately owned company based in Cambridge UK. The company was founded in 2004 and is focused on delivering a range of 3G solutions using its integrated network on a card - IN-cTM technology, visit www.3waynetworks.com
