Interop Technologies Receives RCS Patent

Interop Technologies has announced the issuance of U.S. Patent No. 8,856,356, which covers the deployment of its Rich Communication Services without any reliance on underlying IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) architecture.

The Fort Myers, Florida-based network communications provider said it was granted intellectual property rights pertaining to RCS without IMS and RCS interworking with the legacy network.

“Very early on, we identified prerequisite IMS as both a financial and technical hurdle many operators would face when deploying RCS. At the same time, we understood the need for a standards-based RCS solution that supports interworking with existing services, such as SMS and MMS,” Interop Chief Technology Officer Steve Zitnik said in a prepared statement. “We designed a solution that is standards-based, deployable with or without IMS, and which seamlessly integrates with SMS and MMS.”

Mike Slamka, Interop’s RCS product manager, told Talkin’ Cloud he believes the patent will allow more customers to take advantage of his company’s RCS.

“This patent will allow easier access to rich communications for Interop’s mobile operator customers by eliminating the need for IMS, which can be a barrier to entry due to cost,” he said. “With a quicker time to market, our customers can bring the latest communications technology to their subscribers today.”

What does RCS offer customers?

RCS leverages an IMS network to create features that are not available using traditional messaging services, according to Interop.

Slamka said the patented Interop solution enables mobile operators and solution providers “to deploy next-generation, all-IP communication services, including RCS or a mashup of IP communication services, without the need for a costly IMS core.”

He added he believes Interop’s patented technology can help customers in a variety of ways.

“We strongly feel our patented technology can be leveraged by mobile operators, fixed-line providers, and over-the-top application providers to quickly and efficiently launch next-generation communication services including a mix of IP voice, video, and messaging,” he said. 

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