'ETSI completes interoperability testing event for IMS NNI'

The European Telecommunications Standards Institute has completed its third annual interoperability testing event for IP Multimedia Sub-system Network-to-Network Interface. The event was organised by ETSI with the technical partnership of Orange Labs and promoted by the GSM Association's Rich Communication Suite consortium and the Multi Service Forum. The event confirmed a high level of interoperability between components of advanced future telecommunications networks, as with as between those networks and traditional legacy networks. The aims have been well achieved, with interoperability between multiple vendors over a variety of configurations being proven beyond expectations. During the event over 576 tests were executed and 89 percent interoperability was observed. Interoperability of IMS equipment was assessed in different scenarios including interworking, IMS roaming, and session border control based on 52 tests from the ETSI IMS NNI test specification. It also validates 3GPP IMS base standards as well as IMS NNI and IMS/PSTN test specifications produced by ETSI's IMS Networks Testing Technical Committee. In addition, this event also checked for the first time the interoperability of IMS core networks with legacy PSTN networks. As part of the interoperability testing, ETSI also evaluated the conformance of NNI communication to IMS base standards using automated NNI trace checking tools based on the Testing & Test Control Notation specification language. Feedback from this evaluation will be submitted by ETSI TC INT to relevant 3GPP Technical Specification Groups in order to further refine and improve IMS base specifications. Plans are already in place to hold a fourth IMS NNI interoperability event in 2010. Network equipment, test tool vendors, and observers included Acme Packet, Agilent Technologies, Astellia, Ericsson, Hotaru Project, Images et Reseaux, Inexbee, Iskratel, Nexcom Systems, Nokia Siemens Networks, NTT Advanced Technology, Orange Labs, Starent Networks, Telecom Bretagne, Telecom Italia, Testing Technologies, Telecommunication Regulatory Commission of Jordan, and Thomson.

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