Convergin this week added support for Java-based Web services to its service capability interaction manager (SCIM) platform, enabling carriers to link both their legacy and IMS-based networks to Web services.

Convergin’s new SCIM 2.0 product includes support for Java Enterprise Edition SIP servlets based on Java Specification Request (JSR) 116 or JSR 289, the Java standards for embedding SIP-based telephony capabilities into a Java application.

SCIMs, including Convergin’s product, are a loosely defined part of the 3GPP IP Multimedia Subsystem standard. They are designed to manage service mediation and orchestration in a multiple network environment, initially between legacy SS7 and newer IMS-based networks. But exactly how SCIM’s enable that integration is somewhat open to interpretation, leading vendors to take a variety of approaches to developing SCIM products.

With the emergence of Web services and service oriented architecture (SOA) in telecom networks, support for Java-based Web services standards is an important progression, said Tal Zoller, Convergin’s vice president of business development. In particular, it makes it easier for those creating telecom services to incorporate critical business logic via Web services into the service composition process.

“Service delivery today is becoming strongly tied to methodologies in the IT space for managing overall service deployment and the service lifecycle,” said Zoller. “Services need to be able to integrate with SOA and ESBs [an enterprise service bus, a key component of SOA architectures] that operators use to run Web services.”

Support for SIP servlet programming has grown in importance as service delivery platform (SDP) vendors have announced and touted support for JSR 116/289 in their SDP application server platforms.

By linking legacy and IMS networks to Java-based Web services via SCIM 2.0, Convergin enables developers to build applications in Java/SIP and deliver them to across their entire customer base – regardless of whether they are served by new IP or older legacy networks, Zoller said.

“If IMS was initially looked at as a complete core architecture that had to be followed, well, operators didn’t buy that,” Zoller said. “Operators are now looking to implement parts of IMS in the service layer and parts of IMS in other areas and tying that all together using Web services.”

Zoller said SCIM 2.0 is in field trials today with operators in the U.S. and Europe.