The advent of the Internet of Things (IoT) has brought about a revolution in many industries. Connected devices and machines able to communicate and share data have become the norm and are allowing advances in productivity and performance. IoT networks require high-quality data connections to allow machines to communicate. What is less known, however, is that ~20% of networks also require native voice features. Think about emergency calling in cars – who doesn’t know the button in the car you can press to speak to emergency services. The same goes for lifts. Or medical devices, which are equipped with voice technology to communicate to hospital staff. The “user behaviour” for voice services in IoT contexts is very different, however, from traditional mobile networks and requires solutions like those of ng-voice to work efficiently.
In IoT networks, there are a large number of connected devices. However, the actual volume of the calls is significantly less compared to mobile VoLTE networks. This means that the IMS solution must be able to operate with limited resources while still being able to offer high levels of service resiliency. The ng-voice IMS is ideal in this case, as one of the key differentiators of the ng-voice IMS is that it can work with a very low resource footprint – meaning it consumes ~80% fewer resources compared to legacy solutions (each container being less than 25 MB). Instead of “bulky” software and hardware, the ng-voice IMS is cost-effective, scales automatically based on consumer behaviour and can run in any type of infrastructure. Think about a VoLTE solution hosted in the public cloud – that scales when needed, but otherwise hardly consumes any resources. ng-voice has a tailored public cloud-based IMS offering for IoT networks, which can be seamlessly interconnected with any 4G/5G core networks. ng-voice also offers a transparent commercial model, which is subscription based per active VoLTE user with a very low commitment usage fee, eliminating upfront costs. The fully automated CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment) cycle of ng-voice IMS enables quick adaptability, allowing for seamless updates and enhancements without disruption to IoT networks. This makes ng-voice’s IoT offering ideal for IoT environments with limited resources or constrained energy requirements but requiring high levels of service resiliency and uptime.
On top of being fully cloud native, the ng-voice IMS also has a rich feature set which is a great value add for industries in the IoT space. As an example – Location-based services are critical for IoT deployments in IoT industries and ng-voice offers its network provided location information (NPLI) for this use case. It is a network-based approach that relies on the infrastructure of the communication network to provide location information, without the need for dedicated positioning hardware or GPS receivers on the IoT devices. NPLI is particularly useful for the IoT market due to its ability to provide location information in situations where GPS signals may be weak or unavailable, such as in indoor environments or urban canyons. It can also be beneficial in scenarios where GPS receivers may consume excessive power or add to the cost and complexity of IoT devices. NPLI can also be used in conjunction with other technologies, including GPS, to enhance the accuracy and reliability of location information. For example, a hybrid approach can be used where NPLI is used for indoor positioning, and GPS or other satellite-based positioning technologies are used for outdoor positioning. This combination can provide a more comprehensive and accurate location-based service for IoT devices, allowing them to accurately determine their location in both indoor and outdoor environments which can be invaluable for tracking, navigation, and emergency response. Event-based triggers are another important feature of ng-voice IMS for IoT deployments. IoT devices in cars and elevators often generate events, such as sensor readings, alarms, or status changes. ng-voice IMS supports event-based triggers, allowing automatic initiation of voice calls or other actions based on predefined events. This enables real-time communication and automation in response to IoT events, enhancing operational efficiency and enabling timely actions. Custom call routing is also a specialised feature of ng-voice IMS for IoT deployments. Cars and elevators often have unique call routing requirements, such as routing calls to a designated service centre or a specific group of users. ng-voice IMS provides customised call routing capabilities, allowing calls to be routed based on predefined rules or policies, tailored to the specific needs of the IoT deployment. This ensures efficient call routing and streamlined communication workflows in the IoT network.
On top of being fully cloud native and providing a rich suite of features for the IoT market, the ng-voice IMS solution offers a comprehensive user interface that simplifies deployment, installation, troubleshooting, and configuration for the IoT market. It provides a seamless and intuitive experience for managing these tasks, making them straightforward and efficient. Using the ng-voice UI, users are able to deploy the entire solution, monitor key KPIs and configure each element of the IMS separately providing a unique user experience and high degree of flexibility and automation.
The UI also offers automated integration tests, making the entire integration process significantly easier and faster. Another key advantage of the ng-voice IMS is its ability to leverage AI for improved operational efficiency, enhanced user experience, and optimised resource allocation. The ng-voice IMS solution contains an AI-based autoscaler, which analyses network traffic and scales the individual microservices accordingly resulting in improved operational efficiency and enhanced network performance.
In conclusion, the ng-voice IMS is a perfect match for IoT networks due to its resource efficiency, scalability, and service resiliency. Its low energy and resource footprint make it ideal for IoT environments with limited resources, while its features such as network provided location information (NPLI), event-based triggers, and custom call routing enhance its value for IoT deployments in industries. The extensive user interface, automated integration tests, and AI-based autoscaler further contribute to its ease of deployment, management, and operational efficiency. With ng-voice IMS, IoT networks can be up and running in just a few weeks, managed remotely by a small team, and achieve up to 80% reduction in resource utilisation compared to competitors. ng-voice IMS is truly a game-changer for the IoT market, enabling seamless voice connectivity and services for IoT devices and unlocking new possibilities for innovation and automation in IoT deployments.
Publisher Bio
With vast experience in virtualizing the mobile core of network operators and developing cloud-native solutions, Basit has implemented Pakistan’s first fully virtualized IMS to launch VoLTE capabilities in tier-1 operators. Abdul Basit is passionate about cloud, automation and Dev-Ops tools and enjoys his time off exploring new cities and towns.
