Toward the end of each year, the editors of Wireless Review take a look at the most compelling trends in wireless, couple that with projections for the coming year, and compile our annual Technology Preview. As interesting and exciting as it is to look forward and prognosticate on what the next year holds in store, it's also intriguing (and often educational) to look back briefly to see how we did last year.

In doing that, one thing stood out immediately: I couldn't find one use of the acronym “IMS” anywhere in the 2005 version, published last December. Clearly, either we badly misread the writing on the wall or the industry wasn't writing it yet, because the IP multimedia subsystem architecture has been hands-down one of the most talked-about technology platforms in 2005. There is, however, an IMS premonition in a section of last year's preview devoted to mobile/Wi-Fi integration and the UMA format: One sentence reads, “There's a new debate brewing over whether the best solution might be to skip the UMA solution and go directly to a SIP-based model.”

We did better in our 2005 preview on the topic of WiMAX, predicting it would enjoy an active year. The biggest event for WiMAX in 2005 was the opening of the testing facility in Malaga, Spain, where equipment will undergo various testing regimens to be officially certified by the WiMAX Forum. The new buzz surrounding WiMAX is the ultimate evolution to a mobile version of the technology that would be competitive with mobile 3G platforms, a progression expected to take place throughout 2006 and into 2007.

The rest of our preview last year predicted the ongoing rollout of entertainment apps, the advance of 3G technologies like EV-DO and HSDPA in networks around the world and an increased focus on quality assurance by wireless carriers — all of which have seen varying degrees of activity in 2005.

As we look ahead to wireless in 2006, the progression of 3G is once again on our list of trends to watch, but we also take a look at so-called 3G alternatives that could have an impact in networks in the coming year. In the applications area, we look at video applications that — owing to device and network innovation — are likely to see more widespread deployment in 2006. We also explore voice over IP in wireless networks, network management and security issues and (once again) WiMAX, among other technologies.

It's virtually impossible to predict everything that will alter the wireless sector over the coming year, but we hope you'll find our report a good starting point for tracking the ongoing evolution of the industry.