Improved Mobile Packet Core Networks Will Spur Use of Wireless Data Services, New Report FindsNew features such as advanced billing and security capabilities will lift barriers to the adoption of mobile data services, according to Heavy ReadingPRNewswire NEW YORK, March 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Technology improvements aimed at increasing the operating efficiency of mobile packet core networks are likely to boost the performance and reliability of wireless data services, making those services much more attractive to business and consumers, according to a major new report from Heavy Reading (http://www.heavyreading.com/), the market research division of CMP Technology's Light Reading (http://www.lightreading.com/). Mobile Packet Core Networks & the Future of Wireless Data Services analyzes the current wireless data services market and delivers a concise accounting of the mobile packet core network today, describing what leading mobile operators have deployed in terms of design architecture, capacity, and features. It also takes account of the varied levels of sophistication in current operator deployments. The 48-page report focuses on the two key nodes in GSM and W-CDMA networks -- the Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) and the Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN) -- along with additional capabilities that can be deployed either as separate network elements or else as enhanced IP service functionality in the GGSN. It includes Heavy Reading's first ever market share analysis of the mobile packet core sector, focusing on the SGSN and GGSN sectors. The report concludes with a profile of the major vendors that are delivering products into the mobile packet core space and the way that their solutions are providing the core technology building blocks from which mobile operators can further develop the mobile data services market. "Mobile operators are clearly driving toward consolidation in the packet core," notes Patrick Donegan, Senior Analyst at Heavy Reading and author of the report. "This consolidation is taking multiple forms, including the combination of multiple policy functions into a single network node; the convergence of multiple pre-paid/post-paid, voice/data, and fixed/mobile billing systems; and merger and acquisition activity among the network equipment vendors that are the primary developers of mobile packet core products." Several new features in the mobile packet core will lift barriers to the adoption of mobile data services, Donegan says. "Among these are advanced billing capabilities and security features that protect enterprises against unlawful usage by employees and prevent children from receiving inappropriate content," he explains. "Operators are just starting to roll out these features today." Other key findings of Mobile Packet Core Networks & the Future of Wireless Data Services include the following: Mobile operators want advanced bandwidth management capabilities in their packet core. Such capabilities will enable them to distinguish between different types of peer-to-peer traffic traversing the network, and by extension enable them to guarantee higher levels of service to premium customers. Nokia Siemens Networks stands to gain much from consolidation among major equipment vendors in the mobile packet core, while Cisco faces the biggest challenges. While Siemens previously resold the Cisco GGSN and Cisco Mobile Exchange (CMX) solution into mobile operators worldwide, the new Nokia Siemens is likely to cease selling Cisco-based products at some point. Cisco is also likely to lose Lucent and Motorola as distribution channels for its GGSN and CMX due to the former's merger with Alcatel and the latter's strategic alignment with Huawei. Among smaller vendors, Bytemobile, Redknee, and Starent Networks are having the biggest impact on the composition and strategic direction of mobile packet core networks. Redknee and Bytemobile are reaching out from their core businesses in monetization and optimization, respectively, into adjacent spaces in the mobile data policy environment. Although it hasn't yet announced any significant wins, Starent Networks is making significant headway as an independent GGSN vendor. Some leading mobile operators are developing integrated services architectures in the mobile packet core, but this trend is not universal. Both Vodafone and T-Mobile are loading an increasing amount of policy enforcement intelligence on the GGSN in their respective networks. But many other operators continue to prefer a distributed architecture, with functionality distributed across multiple nodes in the network, either due to a deliberate architectural decision or because they lack a compelling reason to move to an integrated architecture. Mobile Packet Core Networks & the Future of Wireless Data Services covers a full range of technologies intended to improve the efficiency of mobile packet core networks, including: * Integrated services GGSNs * IPv6 * Detach timer on the SGSN * Pico cells and distributed packet core functionality * SGSN payload bypass * Diameter-based charging * Improved billing systems * Migration to IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) * Optimization * Security and content filtering * Deep packet inspection and heuristic analysis * Quality of service improvements The report is essential reading for a wide range of industry participants, including the following: * Mobile packet core technology suppliers: How will the ongoing shifts in mobile operator service offerings affect your business? Where are the new opportunities for market growth? Are your products and marketing messages in line with customer plans and expectations? Are there significant gaps in your product line coverage that need to be addressed to meet future demand for backhaul solutions? * Other wireless equipment suppliers: Will demand for your products be affected by new deployment plans for mobile packet core technologies? Which technologies are emerging as the most likely winners for tomorrow's wireless data networks? Is your company in position to take advantage of those anticipated changes? * Mobile network operators: How do your plans for next-gen data service deployment compare with those of your competitors? Does your mobile packet core buildout strategy deliver the best cost and performance option for your network, or are there other alternatives that will deliver greater efficiency? Which technology suppliers are in the best position to meet your next-gen network requirements? * Investors: Which technologies are emerging as the winning solutions for mobile packet core networks, and which companies are the leading providers of those solutions? How will mobile packet core buildouts affect profitability for the wireless service sector in the coming months and years? Mobile Packet Core Networks & the Future of Wireless Data Services costs $3,995 and is published in PDF format. The price includes an enterprise license covering all of the employees at the purchaser's company. For more information, or to request a free executive summary, contact: Dave Williams Sales Director, Heavy Reading 858-485-8870 dave.williams@heavyreading.com Press/analyst contact: Dennis Mendyk Managing Director, Heavy Reading 201-587-2154 mendyk@heavyreading.com About Heavy Reading Heavy Reading is an independent market research organization offering quantitative analysis of telecom technology to service providers, vendors, and investors. Its mandate is to provide the comprehensive competitive analysis needed today for the deployment of profitable networks based on next-generation hardware and software. About CMP Technology CMP Technology (http://www.cmp.com/) is a marketing solutions company serving the technology industry. Through its market-leading portfolio of trusted information brands, CMP has earned the confidence of more technology professionals than any other media company. As a result, CMP is the premier provider of access, insight and actionable programs designed to connect sellers and buyers in ways that yield superior return on investment. CMP Technology is a subsidiary of United Business Media (http://www.unitedbusinessmedia.com/), a global provider of news distribution and specialist information services with a market capitalization of more than $3 billion. SOURCE: Heavy Reading CONTACT: Dave Williams, Sales Director, +1-858-485-8870, Web site: http://www.heavyreading.com/ |