Seamless Multimedia Services Over All-IP Based Infrastructures: The EVOLUTE Approach

The increasing amount of roaming Internet users in combination with the evolution of IP-based applications has created a strong demand for wide-area, broadband access to a number of IP multimedia services. Wireless LANs can complement the next-generation cellular networks, by offering a cost-efficient, wireless broadband data solution for hot spot areas. By combining the wide coverage of next-generation cellular systems with the speed and capacity advantages of wireless LANs, users can make the most out of wireless IP communication. Towards this direction, IST project EVOLUTE implements an all IP network infrastructure aiming to provide seamless multimedia services to roaming users. EVOLUTE addresses and attempts to resolve issues, such as, multilayer mobility management, vertical handoffs, fast and scalable Authentication-Authorization-Accounting (AAA) mechanisms, and ubiquitous service provisioning among heterogeneous environments. User trials have been defined and VoIP applications have been selected among others, to test and validate the capabilities of the EVOLUTE architecture.