9 October 2002 -- The Multiservice Switching Forum (MSF), Fremont, CA, US, has announced the test sites for Global MSF Interoperability 2002 (GMI 2002), the industry's first live demonstration of the MSF's Release 1 Architecture.
Scheduled for 4-15 November, GMI 2002 will be conducted in a real time networked environment simultaneously between the following three test sites:
- BTexact Technologies, BT's Advanced Research and Technology Centre, Adastral Park, Martlesham, Ipswich, UK
- NTT's Musashino Research and Development Center in Tokyo
- University of New Hampshire Interoperability Lab, Durham, NH
GMI 2002 will demonstrate MSF's Release 1 Architecture for Multiservice Switching Systems utilizing the MEGACO H.248, Bearer Independent Call Control (BICC) and Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) as the main control and signaling protocols.
"GMI 2002 will be a landmark event for the next generation telecommunications systems industry," said Roger Ward manager future switched network strategy at BTexact and MSF president. "MSF's Release 1 Architecture is supported by many of the world's largest carriers. This demonstration will send the message that true multivendor interoperability among key network components is the path to success for vendors and carriers alike."
Comprising four voice scenarios and one data scenario, Global MSF Interoperability 2002 will run for two weeks, with the first week dedicated to configuring equipment and testing components. During the second week, validated testing of the five planned scenarios will be conducted between the three global test sites.
"Telecommunications is in the midst of a Great Depression," said David Fraley, principal analyst, Gartner Dataquest. "The industry will only overcome the Telecom Great Depression when vendors, service providers, regulators and industry forums maximise synergistic efforts.
"The cooperation between BT, NTT, MSF and multiple vendors exemplifies this type of thinking. It is exactly this type of cooperation that will once again allow telecommunications to regain its position as a critical infrastructure propelling the global economy."