RIM Rediscovers VoWi-Fi in the Upgraded MVSRIM Rediscovers VoWi-Fi in the Upgraded MVS

With VoWi-Fi support and closer coupling with the PBX, this new edition of the MVS will certainly be a boon for the BlackBerry base.

RIM's Wireless Enterprise Symposium opened today in Orlando with a few important announcements for the BlackBerry line of smartphones. First they announced two new models, the Bold 9650 and the Pearl 3G. The Bold 9650 is essentially the Bold 9700 for CDMA networks, and the features include Wi-Fi (802.11b/g) and GPS. The Pearl 3G is the new, upgraded model for those who favor the compressed keyboard and SureType entry method. There are 14 and 20-key models that are being offered around the world, and while it supports GPS and Wi-Fi, this is the first BlackBerry to support 802.11n.The real news for enterprise users is the upgrade to Rev 5.0 of the RIM fixed mobile convergence appliance, the Mobile Voice System (MVS). RIM picked up the MVS with the acquisition of Ascendent Systems in 2006, and has been marketing it through a variety of outlets (primarily the mobile operators) for several years. The MVS is essentially an FMC appliance that connects to any PBX and provides simultaneous ring and other features for BlackBerry users.

While virtually all IP PBX systems can support simultaneous ring and a mobile client that routes outbound mobile calls through the PBX, the MVS was designed to integrate seamlessly with the BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) and the full range of BlackBerry smartphones. In the traditional configuration, the MVS connects to the PBX via a trunk interface. When a call is placed to the user's desk set, the PBX routes it to the MVS, which places a call to the desk set and simultaneously places a call to the BlackBerry mobile over the cellular network. The MVS also forwards the name and number of the calling party to the mobile over the cellular data service.

Rev. 5.0 adds two important capabilities: Wi-Fi support and a development platform based on a SIP back-to-back user agent (B2BUA) interface. Wi-Fi support is the most visible development. RIM supports Wi-Fi in a number of their devices, but has consistently refused to provide a VoIP over Wi-Fi (VoWi-Fi) capability. They do support VoWi-Fi in a carrier-provided Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) configuration to support services like T-Mobile's Unlimited Hot Spot Calling or Rogers' TalkSpot.

The Wi-Fi move brings RIM into more direct competition with suppliers like DiVitas, Agito, and Varaha who provide dual mode Wi-Fi/cellular FMC solutions and have touted the ability to reduce cellular costs by moving some portion of the mobile voice usage from cellular to Wi-Fi. RIM had remained something of an outsider in this, holding to the line that most WLANs weren't voice-capable and most users didn't care. There were similar cellular-only FMC solutions from CounterPath and OnRelay, but MVS's unique feature was its integration with the native BlackBerry smartphone interface.

While RIM stuck to the cellular-only FMC solution, the dual mode vendors struggled to come up with a VoIP client that would work on the BlackBerry; as it is clearly the most popular enterprise smartphone in the US, the dual mode vendors needed BlackBerry support to be competitive. Agito and Varaha were successful at that, as was Aastra in their new dual mode solution. Siemens will likely join that list as the supplier for the mobile client on their dual mode Mobile Connect product, fg microtec, announced a VoIP on BlackBerry capability last week.

The MVS Wi-Fi capability does not include the automatic Wi-Fi/cellular handoff; users can move calls from a BlackBerry to a deskset (not vice versa), but if a user on a Wi-Fi calls and roams out of range of the Wi-Fi network, it's adios. The Wi-Fi agent will automatically register with the MVS when the user comes within Wi-Fi range and the MVS can deliver mobile calls over the Wi-Fi network. On outgoing mobile calls the network administrator can select whether the calls should go over Wi-Fi or cellular, but without the handoff, it's likely that cellular will be the primary choice.

As with other FMC solutions, outgoing mobile business calls are routed through the PBX to hide the mobile number. With MVS, the user can change their identity to "personal" and the call will be placed directly over the mobile network; that selection must normally be done on every call. RIM promises that in a subsequent release, the user will be able to specify their identity preference (business or personal) for each number in the directory.

The other important element in the MVS announcement was a mobile voice development platform that will allow PBX and application developers to make use of the B2BUA capability to integrate the MVS solution into their product lines. In that configuration, the call would be anchored in the PBX with only SIP signaling messages exchanged over the interface between the MVS and the call manager. That configuration allows for far tighter coupling between the PBX and the mobile device.

In 2009, RIM introduced a back-to-back user agent (B2BUA) interface for the Cisco Unified Call Manager and Call Manager Express, so for the moment Cisco is the sole implementation. With the MVS development platform, RIM is opening making this type of interface available to all IP PBX and UC platform vendors.

All is not sweetness and light however. The key deficiency with MVS remains that it is a BlackBerry only solution, and there are very few BlackBerry only customers--so what am I supposed to do for the 75% of my mobile users for whom I don't want to pay for a BlackBerry plan and a BES capability? RIM is making it clear that their focus is on "enhancing the BlackBerry experience", rather than helping customers address their overall mobility requirements. However, with VoWi-Fi support and closer coupling with the PBX, this new edition of the MVS will certainly be a boon for that BlackBerry base.With VoWi-Fi support and closer coupling with the PBX, this new edition of the MVS will certainly be a boon for the BlackBerry base.