Radisys' Virtualized Media Resource Function Becomes the Standard for Metaswitch

In the past, mobile phones have provided voice call services over a switched-circuit-style network, rather than strictly over an IP packet-switched network. Alternative methods of delivering voice or other multimedia services over IP have become available on smartphones, such as VoIP or Skype, but they have not become standardized across the industry.

The IP Multimedia Subsystem or IP Multimedia Core Network Subsystem (IMS) is an architectural framework for delivering IP multimedia services. IMS is the architectural framework that can provide the standardization necessary. IMS is not intended to standardize applications, but rather to aid the access of multimedia and voice applications from wireless and wireline terminals.

All over the world telecommunications companies are expanding their LTE networks to reach as many areas and regions as possible. Voice over LTE, or VoLTE, is based on the IMS network. This approach results in the voice service being delivered as data flows within the LTE data bearer. This means that there is no dependency on, or ultimately, requirement for the legacy circuit-switched voice network to be maintained.

As we continue to move in this direction, companies such as Radisys are creating products designed to ease the transition. One such product is Radisys’ virtualized Media Resource Function (vMRF). Virtualized MRF supports real-time multimedia processing requirements for IMS MRF, OTT, cloud, and WebRTC communication services.

Metaswitch Networks is a U.K.-based company that designs, develops, manufactures and markets telecommunications software to communication service providers, equipment manufacturers and large enterprises. It is also the latest company to embrace Radisys’ vMRF to power its cloud-based IMS solution. Radisys’ traffic distribution platforms, real-time media processing engines and wireless access technologies enable its customers to maximize, virtualize and monetize their networks.

Paul Drew, who is senior vice president at Metaswitch Networks, said “Mobile operators are embracing IMS as the foundation of their LTE networks so they can be flexible enough to provide a complete portfolio of immersive IP-based multimedia communications services. As Metaswitch helps its customers continue down a path towards a software-centric, cloud-based, all-IP future, we are pleased to work with Radisys as they share our overall vision and have been a leading provider of IP Media Processing and MRF products for more than 10 years.”

Radisys’ vMRF is pre-integrated with OpenCloud’s Rhino Telecom Application Server. Making it part of its Clearwater IMS solution is how Metaswitch is using Radisys’ vMRF to help service providers accelerate the transformation of their network and communication services.

Drew’s comments were followed up by Radisys’ MediaEngine and corporate marketing vice president, Grant Henderson as he said, “The shift to all-IP networks made possible by IMS is enabling communication service providers to become more software-centric, rethinking not only their network architecture, but also how they deliver profitable, differentiated services to their customers. We’re pleased that Metaswitch has put its trust in Radisys and our virtualized MRF and we are excited to work with both Metaswitch and OpenCloud to enable service providers to deliver new levels of innovation and differentiation. This is another validation point for our truly open, OneMRF strategy where service providers can deploy a single media processing platform to support a plethora of legacy and multimedia services from multiple application providers.”