Mobile World from Deutsche Telekom will allow multiple mobile services to be bundled as a data package

The International Carrier Sales & Solutions (ICSS) branch of Deutsche Telekom has launched a new service called ICSS Mobile World. The new service is an IPX (IP eXchange) service – which essentially means that more mobile services, from voice to data, can be bundled to operators as data services.

What does that mean, exactly?

Older telecom networks are more than capable of carrying voice calls – but data services like VoIP require a more advanced type of network. In order to allow the different types of network to communicate, stop-gap measures have been introduced since 2000. Simply, IPX is a modern solution. It’s a much larger infrastructure that will allow multiple types of network to easily communicate with one another (including international roaming), using data packets.

Importantly, IPX is an open, global infrastructure. It has been developed mostly by the GSMA, but anyone who adheres to the their technical and commercial standards can run trials. And lots of people have, including fixed and mobile operators and other service providers. Deutsche Telekom is by no means the first company to move into IPX. Sybase, Tata Communications, Telefonica and Telenor are just some of the other companies who have run trials.

So what’s the Deutsche Telekom offer?

Deutsche Telekom ICSS will be offering four bundles for data, roaming, and messaging. First, it will allow on-line and mobile Internet services to run on GSMA standards. Second, it will offer a full SMS delivery system, large enough for any operator to use for a global delivery system. Third is an international voice and data roaming service. The fourth part is called MMX – it allows the customer to connect to other IPX partners.

The SMS part of the service has been running since February.

From the release:

Helmut Angst, Senior Vice President at Deutsche Telekom ICSS: “We are continuing to enhance our comprehensive portfolio of mobile products and offering our products and services in flexible, cost-effective bundles. This lets our customers provide their own customers with more, new mobile services at attractive prices and thus improves competitiveness.”

What we think?

It’s important to stress that IPX isn’t a replacement for normal Internet or data services. It’s just a framework that allows more telecoms networks to work together at the same time. If I had to apply a jargon keyword to it, I’d say “interoperability”. The idea behind IPX is that if all of your telecoms networks are running within the same framework, it will be easier to create gestalt services combining voice, data, messaging and roaming.