Through service delivery platforms, converged voice services can be introduced right away and - indirectly - speed up the adoption of multimedia applications, In-Stat reports.

By pushing hard to make mobile and fixed voice services seamless for consumers, operators can resolve many of the problems that plague today's industry. That is according to Keith Nissen, the In-Stat analyst who wrote "SDP-Enabled Converged Voice Services: The IMS Killer App."

With converged voice services, mobile operators can boost profits by capturing fixed revenue. Traditional phone companies, on the other hand, can retain customers and boost their brand when subscribers enjoy the same calling, billing and messaging features on their fixed phone as they do on their mobile.

"Can we expect consumers to purchase IMS on top of fixed network services? My contention is no," Nissen says. "Operators have to build a base of voice services that are IP-based in order to grow demand for IMS and to justify investments in IMS-based services."

In-Stat defines SDPs as "a set of reusable components that support the implementation and delivery of digital services over horizontal or layered network architecture." Such platforms, when designed for IMS networks, let operators manage and sell any number of consumer services across different networks and countries.

Because it uses existing network components and makes the network more efficient, a horizontal SDP can bring cost savings of 25 percent, Ericsson has estimated.

But the idea that an SDP can also speed up the deployment of IMS is novel in the telecom world, Nissen says.

"Nobody is really sure what IMS applications will sell, and a lot of carriers are deploying IMS for very specific reasons only," he says. "What I'm saying is, start with converged voice services through an SDP and expand from there."

In-Stat surveys indicate that the market is ready for converged voice services. Consumers would love to be able to access the same voice message on their PC as they do on their wireline and wireless phones, Nissen says.

They would also love the convenience of having to enter their contact information once only for several devices.

By providing such added value, operators can cash in twice: first by retaining customer revenue, and second by bringing IMS to market faster.

A number of SPD vendors have surfaced in recent years as more operators begin to invest in the technology. With 10 SPD deployment contracts under its belt and another 30 field trials under way, Ericsson has emerged as a leader in this area.

With its recent acquisition of Drutt, a company with a long history of providing SDP solutions for mobile operators, Ericsson expects to further solidify its SDP business.