4 Informative description of messaging services in the IMS

22.3403GPPIP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) messagingStage 1TS

As 3GPP has developed the concept of IMS it is thought useful to consider how a SIP based IP network can be utilised to provide messaging capabilities. One of the chief characteristics of SIP is its ability to rapidly and efficiently create real-time sessions between groups of users. It therefore appears that SIP based messaging would be a potential candidate to provide the equivalent of “Chat Room” and “Instant Messaging” (IM) type services found on the Internet today. Typical characteristics instant messaging are instant delivery of the messages to the targeted recipient(s) and interaction with presence information where users are able to see who is on-line as well as their status.

A chat room is a "place" where multiple persons can join, follow and contribute to the ongoing discussion and leave the "room" at any time. Chat rooms are more permanent in nature when compared to IM exchanges and may be created by users or service providers. Additionally, chat rooms can be further divided to the private and public chat rooms. Normally, users who are participating in chat room will receive all the messages that are sent by the other participants. Similarly, the users are also able to send private messages to the chat room or even privately to some participant.

Unfortunately, the most popular internet based instant messaging services are usually based upon closed and proprietary protocols which has made it impossible for different service providers to allow interoperable messaging between their respective users. Additionally, internet based services do not take into consideration the wireless environment and the needs of operators to provide services that are commercially viable by for example, providing support for charging. This technical specification will further elaborate the essential messaging characteristic of these services and state how they may be enhanced, e.g. operators may be able to create and then advertise chat rooms containing specific content where users who join the room may be charged an ‘entrance’ fee,

Figure 1. Example IMS Messaging service: Chat room