Empirix intros advanced VoLTE service assurance solution

BEDFORD, USA: In a world where voracious customer demand for mobile services is driving the rapid deployment of LTE, Empirix Inc. today announced the availability of the Empirix E-XMS service assurance solution for monitoring Voice over LTE (VoLTE) from end-to-end. Empirix E-XMS enables operators to assure next-generation LTE services and gain complete visibility into the Quality of Experience (QoE) as communications switch between mobile, 3G and wireline environments. Empirix’s unique holistic view of the network makes it possible to preempt issues and resolve problems before they impact customers.

For LTE deployments to succeed, operators must strategically manage service gaps to ensure that customers do not experience a drop in service quality as they move from LTE to 3G coverage zones. This is especially important for voice services as nothing frustrates customers like dropped calls. Unlike traditional IP communications, operators have multiple deployment options for VoLTE. Many are looking to reduce costs by migrating voice services to the VoIP/IMS Core. When LTE conditions change, these customers are routed to other parts of the network mid-call. Other operators are choosing to send calls directly to circuit-switched networks as soon as voice service is requested.

“LTE networks were originally the solution to handle increased data traffic, but with the growing presence of LTE devices, and the accompanying demand for voice services over the network, operators saw the need for a standardized approach,” said Rob Bamforth, principal analyst, Quocirca. “Regardless of the method implemented, VoLTE promises better call quality and more flexible services, like simultaneous voice and data, though there are a number of challenges that mobile operators will need to overcome, particularly related to finding and resolving issues before they can impact the end-user. This requires a deep visibility into the network that has not previously been available.”

“Mobile networks add a new range of complexities that many operators are not sure how to handle,” said Bob Hockman, vice president of product management, Empirix. “Trying to accurately monitor mobile and wireline activities, along with skyrocketing voice, video and data traffic, is near impossible without a unified approach. Empirix is the only company that can assure the LTE environment as a whole, as well as handovers and legacy systems. With a complete understanding of how specific enhancements impact customer experience, operators can fully optimize performance and realize the full benefit of their technology investments.”

Empirix E-XMS Service Assurance Platform mitigates the network management challenges associated with mobile and fixed line convergence including handoffs and fallback scenarios. It collects, correlates and analyzes data across heterogeneous environments to provide an end-to-end view of customer experience, application performance, service quality, network health and interoperability. To reduce “cost per problem,” Empirix E-XMS enables operators to quickly identify the source of issues in complex environments and detect service degradation conditions before they can impact customers.