New Release of Mercuro IMS Client (4.0.899)

The latest Beta release of Mercuro IMS Client(Version 4.0.899) is now available for download at http://www.mercuro.net/.
This release comes with a lot of fixes and improvements. Here is a non-exhaustive list:

- Change default document names in XDM (WARN: it can potentially breaks existing configuration)
- Add support for expiration negotiation in REGISTER (3GPP TS-24.229)
- Add full support for "qop" authorization attribute (RFC-2617)
- Add support for Uri negotiation in XDM RLS Services (RFC-4825)
- Add message waiting indication event package support (RFC-3842)
- Add support for XCAP Capabilities retrieval (RFC-4825)
- Add support for OMA XCAP Directory (OMA-TS-XDM_Core-V1_1)
- Add support for '423 Interval Too Brief' responses (RFC-3261)
- Add SHA-1 hash computation in 'file-selector' header for MSRP file transfers (IETF draft-ietf-mmusic-file-transfer-mech)
- Add meaningful status bar to make long-lasting operation bearable
- Fix missing authorization header in initial REGISTER (3GPP TS-24.229)
- Fix invalid PUBLISH request when dealing with 401/407 responses
- Fix authorization handling in MSRP dialogs (401/407 challenges)
- Fix invalid presence rules document when dealing with authorizations
- Fix a crash when making a call to a bogus Uri
- Fix minor UI problems

Mercuro IMS Client is in beta stage and has been tested with many IMS Core (provided by our technical partners). To improve interoperability between Mercuro IMS Client and your IMS Core/Client we are willing to give you some help and tips (send us a mail to [tech dot mercuro -at- inexbee dot com]).

For more information about Mercuro IMS Client visit http://www.mercuro.net/.

New Release of Mercuro IMS Client (4.0.864)

The latest Beta release of Mercuro IMS Client(Version 4.0.864) is now available for download at http://www.mercuro.net.
This release comes with a lot of fixes and improvements. Here is a non-exhaustive list:

- Add new audio and video codecs (GSM, Speex, Theora, etc)
- Full screen mode support
- Add the ability to choose the codecs used during Voice/Visio calls
- Add a better validation of Uri values
- Add ability to set custom XDMS documents
- Add a dialog box when a connection error occurs
- Add an anonymous crash report sending to ease feedback
- Add a DTMF sound feedback
- Fix a crash when running under Microsoft Remote Desktop
- Fix a crash when making a Voice call with IMS Communicator
- Fix the jitter buffer for a better sound quality
- Fix the session rejection with IM SIMPLE Session
- Fix the ugly noise when playing the ring tones
- Fix label alignment under Windows Vista
- Fix the tab-stop order of various screens
- ...

For more information about Mercuro IMS Client visit http://www.mercuro.net.

3GPP P-Headers

The Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) has defined some additional SIP P-headers ('P' stands for private or proprietary) to use in IMS (Release 5 requirements on SIP) context.

These headers are:

1. The P-Associated-URI header
2. The P-Called-Party-ID header
3. The P-Visited-Network-ID header
4. The P-Access-Network-Info header
5. The P-Charging-Function-Addresses header
6. The P-Charging-Vector header

In next posts I will explain how these headers are used in both UAC and UAS side.

For more information visit http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc3455.txt

Rich Communication Suite phase 1

RCS (Rich Communication Suite) is a join industry effort aiming to speed up the evolution of mobile phone communication towards rich communication. The RCS initiative includes network operators, network and device vendors (Orange, Telecom Italia, Telefonica, TeliaSonera, Ericsson, Nokia Siemens Networks, Nokia, SK Telecom, Sony Ericsson and Samsung).

The main purpose of RCS is to allow interoperability between network vendors and software editors.

RCS phase 1 defines 4 main features:

1. Enhanced Address Book (Service capabilities, presence contacts information, Video Call, …)
2. Content Sharing (Video Share, Image Share, …)
3. File Transfer (based on OMA Simple 1.0 specifications)
4. Converged Messaging (base on OMA Simple 1.0 specifications)

The RCS Initiative has defined a core feature set, developed reference implementations of the services and conducted interoperability testing in multi-vendor environment.

In next posts I will introduce all features mentioned above and explain how they are used in IMS Clients (Mercuro).

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rich_Communication_Suite
http://www.nokiasiemensnetworks.com/global/Press/Press+releases/news-archive/Rich_Communication_Suite_Initiative.htm

Free IMS Clients

• IMSDroid, for Android
• iDoubs, for iOS (iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch)
• The UCT IMS Client is available under the GPL (open source)
• The IMS Communicator is available under the GPL (open source)
• FOKUS' OpenIC (Open IMS Client) is available only commercially. Yet, there is also a free binary OpenIC_Lite version available right here

Seagull : [3GPP, TISPAN, CableLabs] Multi-protocol traffic generator

We all know that it's very difficult to find an IMS client that support a wide array of protocols defined in IMS specifications (3GPP, TISPAN, CableLabs). In addition, only OpenIc and Mercuro IMS client support MSRP (both IM and file transfer). The first cost 25 000 $ and the second is in beta stage (very promising).
Seagull is the answer to how you can make tests using such protocols.

Primarily aimed at IMS (3GPP, TISPAN, CableLabs) protocols (and thus being the perfect complement to SIPp for IMS testing), Seagull is a powerful traffic generator for functional, load, endurance, stress and performance/benchmark tests for almost any kind of protocol.

Seagull supports currently the following protocols:

• Diameter base ( RFC 3588) and any Diameter relating application - IMS Cx, Dx, Ro, Rf, Sh over TCP or SCTP or TLS over IPv4 or IPv6.
• TCAP ITU and ANSI and any protocol over TCAP (Camel, GSM MAP, IS41, Win, ...) either over SS7 (E1/T1) or SIGTRAN. For that, it relies on HP OpenCall SS7.
• XCAP over HTTP over IPv4
• HTTP over IPv4
• H248/Megaco ASCII form over UDP or TCP or SCTP/IPv4
• Radius (subset) over IPv4.

For more information visit http://gull.sourceforge.net/

The 3Gdb Home Subscriber Server(HSS)

This is an implementation of the HSS network element within an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) Core Network (CN).
This project implements the (IMS) database schema described in 23.008 Subscriber Data, the procedures in 29.228 Signaling and the algorithms in 35.206 MILENAGE. It is based upon Release 7.
It is represented below (red background) inside an IMS Core Network.

Another well-known HSS: FOKUS Home Subscriber Server (FHoSS), used in OpenIMSCore.

Reference: http://code.google.com/p/hss/
For more information visit http://www.3gdb.org/doc/overview-summary.html

Mercuro IMS Client

INEXBEE announces the availability of the free version of Mercuro IMS Client. The Mercuro IMS Client is fully compliant with the main 3GPP IMS, RCS (Rich Communication Suite) and OMA specifications.

Mercuro IMS Client is one of the most complete 3GPP IMS softphone and features:

• GSMA RCS features (Enhanced Address Book, Enhanced Messaging, Content Sharing, SMS/MMS messaging and File Transfer)

• SIP/SigComp
• IPv4 and IPv6 networks
• UDP, TCP and TLS transports
• IPSec/TLS Security agreement
  
• Secure 3GPP IMS registration with Digest MD5, AKA-v1
  and AKA-v2
• Private extension headers for 3GPP
• Service-Route discovery
• DNS NAPTR/DHCP Discovery
• Supports provisional response acknowledgements (PRACK)
  
• Unified Contact List Management using XCAP
  
• Presence Rules support using XCAP
  
• Subscribe to reg event and winfo -watcher info-
  
• Incoming/outgoing Voice calls
• Incoming/outgoing Video calls (QCIF, CIF)
• QoS Preconditions
  
• SIP Session Timers
  
• DTMF (Inband DTMF or SIP INFO messages)
• Converged Messaging (OMA-TS-SIMPLE_IM-V1_0-20080903-C)
• IM Conference (MSRP)
• MMS Messaging (MSRP/SMIL)
• 3GPP SMS Messaging (RP-DATA)
• Unified Presence Management (OMA-TS-Presence_SIMPLE-V1_1-20080627-A)
• Multi-codec support (G711, GSM, iLBC, SPEEX, DVI4, L16, AMR, H.263, H.264, ...)
• MSRP file transfer
  
• ... and many other features related to 3GPP IMS or OMA specifications
  

Branding:

• You can include your company name, slogan and logo
• Fully customizable user interface
• Use Mercuro IMS Client as Framework (C++, C# or VB.NET) to develop your own IMS service or client (Only Windows XP/2000/Vista are supported)
  
• ...
  

Hep/Support/Consultancy:

• Offer support to those having difficulties running or using Mercuro IMS Client/ Framework
  
• Tips to help you test Mercuro IMS Client interoperability with other IMS or SIP clients
• Building an IMS Network with Open Source Tools (OpenIMSCore, OpenXcap, OpenSER, Mobicents, ...) and Mercuro IMS Client
• ...
  

Another well-known IMS Clients :

• FOKUS' OpenIC (Full version is available only commercially)
• UCT IMS Client (Free)
  
• IMS Communicator (Free)
  

For more information about Mercuro IMS Client you can visit http://www.mercuro.net or http://imsclient.blogspot.com a blog totally dedicated to Mercuro.