What is a Reverse IM-SSF and why do I need one?
If you are a provider of services to and from the Internet, to customers in LTE / VoLTE domains, it would be a shame to neglect the opportunity to deliver those same services to customers in legacy networks. That’s the functionality offered by a Reverse IM-SSF.
Put simply, it’s a gateway between the Internet (SIP) world and the classical world of SS7 CAMEL. It means that a provider of SIP-based services can interface directly with CAMEL service elements and offer services that depend on CAMEL triggering. In other words, it’s a key functional element in the delivery of convergent services.
Although not formally specified by 3GPP, the Reverse IM-SSF (and its twin, the IM-SSF, which is specified by 3GPP in TS 23.338, various releases) is recognised as being an important element in ensuring successful service delivery between NGN and Legacy domains.
It enables NGN providers to address legacy subscribers, considerably expanding their addressable market and ensuring that new services can be delivered in a convergence environment. That’s why it’s a key element of a number of our installations. It provides the glue between some of the OTT applications we help enable and existing subscribers, enabling a range of enhanced voice and messaging applications to function correctly, irrespective of the network in which the subscriber is located.
In our case, we can offer Reverse IM-SSF functionality to NGN and OTT application solutions directly through SIP, or via integration through our XML-based API, which allows close control over the required CAMEL operations through a flexible interface. Either way, it’s easy to add Reverse IM-SSF functionality to your solution, allowing you to gracefully extend your platform capabilities and reach more customers.
Reverse IM-SSF enables a host of services, from Mobile PBX into legacy network environments (GSM, UMTS, LTE), as well as for convergent service delivery across both legacy and NGN VoLTE networks.
Get in touch to find out how we can help you enable rich services with our expertise.
