Voice-over-IP infrastructure vendor Sonus Networks this week delivered an update to its IMS-based application platform, with new tools for creating apps that include advanced messaging and multimedia capabilities.

Sonus' core VoIP product is deployed by more than 150 service provider customers, helping to deliver more than 35 billion minutes of VoIP calling per month, according to Sonus’ chief technology officer, Vikram Saksena. The vendor's IMX application platform was first released two years ago, with a focus on letting VoIP providers mimic typical Class 5 voice switch features as well as deliver interactive voice response capabilities. The platform supports industry standard call control XML (CCXML) and Voice XML specifications and includes a scripting-based service creation environment for rapid voice-service creation.

IMX 2.0, available now, advances that service creation environment by adding support for messaging (SMS, MMS, instant messaging), presence-based applications and integration with wireless and video services, Saksena said. The new platform includes video switching capabilities that enable IP-based video streams to be delivered to different devices -- for instance, IPTV content delivered to a set-top box could also be delivered via a wireless network to a mobile device in real time, Saksena said. The product also includes a new SIP servlet engine, providing for very fine-grained control of services, he said.

"We're still at the very early stages of [VoIP application development] with our customers," Saksena added. "I now think we're seeing some level of activity in their internal groups where they take our platform and experiment and write some advanced services."

The IMX 2.0 platform is part of Sonus’ IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) architecture and can be integrated into any IMS-based network. IMX supports a Web-based model for application development, enabling carriers to develop and test new applications quickly and scale them out to a large customer base, Saksena said. The platform is designed for service providers that have deployed Sonus' VoIP infrastructure products.

IMX 2.0 is delivered as software running on an open Linux server platform. In addition to service creation tools, the platform comes with a set of reference applications to help service providers get started building new VoIP-based applications.