Last week, MobileIGNITE announced the release of their version 1.0 FMC Handover specification. This document specifies how the handoff between WiFi VoIP and GSM networks is to occur in transition from one network to another. Perhaps the most interesting part of the release was this paragraph:
3GPP is in advanced stages of completing the Voice Call Continuity (VCC) standard, which defines FMC Handover in a strict IMS network conforming to the to-be-released 3GPP Release 7 reference architecture.   MobileIGNITE’s Functional Specification is fully consistent with and references the draft 3GPP VCC specification* – and provides a level of detail necessary to progress to the protocol implementation agreements and test cases necessary for formal interoperability certification.
This leaves one with the impression that the 3GPP is completely ignoring VoIP scenarios. MobileIGNITE’s approach appears to be one of ensuring that the specification they’ve drafted conforms with a specification designed for some other purpose (in this case, hand-off from one IMS network to another).  Regardless of what the politics behind the scenes are, this is good news for everyone. There is now a standard (or as near a standard as you can shake a stick at!) for everyone in the business of either mobile, or WiFi VoIP to follow.Â
Alec Saunders is the Vice President of Developer Relations for BlackBerry make Research in Motion. This is his personal blog, with his personal viewpoints. Prior to this Alec was the CEO and co-founder of Calliflower — the easiest way to hold a meeting, online, on a conference call, or on the go. A double-decade veteran of product management and marketing, he spent nine years at Microsoft where he helped launch Windows 95, the first two versions of Internet Explorer, the Universal Plug and Play initiative, the push into home markets, opt-in email marketing and what might well go down in history as the very first direct email list ever.
