The forum is an education-based conference and exhibition in which service providers, application and content providers, technology players and many others will gather to examine the most pressing challenges raised by fixed-mobile convergence and the evolution to IP-based communication services.

A team of Ericsson executives is on hand to deliver Ericsson's vision during the conference. The establishment of the next generation network (NGN) specifications is one of several critical issues being discussed at the forum. NGN is based on the concept that telecommunications subsystems will be cooperating more consistently, as well as sharing more components - a concept also known as convergence.

Karl Thedéen, vice president at Ericsson's Product Area Wireline, says: "This is an area where vendors and operators really benefit from being active in the standardization process."

"On the network side, fixed-mobile convergence will give operators the ability to build networks with more common components, enabling more efficient operations," Thedéen says. Common IP or common transmission networks for both fixed and mobile networks are examples of convergence on the network side. On the application side, there are already examples of fixed-mobile convergence: "There are services that have been launched using unlicensed mobile access (UMA), giving coverage to mobile handsets using WiFi or Bluetooth at home or in the enterprise," Thedéen says.

The evolution to all-IP is another hot topic for the forum because it plays a significant role in fixed-mobile convergence. The IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) was developed by the 3G Partnership Program (3GPP), in part to define the additional functionality necessary for delivering IP-based services with carrier-grade quality.

Ericsson is one of the world's top players in broadband access and more than 70 operators have selected the Ericsson Softswitch Solution, an integral step for introducing IP into the network. Ericsson is also the leader in IMS, with 18 contracts for commercial launch, and has performed 38 trials worldwide. The recent acquisition of Marconi gives Ericsson a competitive advantage and an opportunity to support customers even better with an extended product portfolio.