A vertical handover architecture for end-to-end service optimization

The present paper proposes integrating the Media Independent Handover architecture (IEEE 802.21) into an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) platform in order to deliver enhanced mechanisms to optimize the quality of the end-to-end service. The resulting architecture will complement the ability of the service delivery platforms - like IMS - to control and guarantee the network QoS and the cost parameters with a mechanism enabling them to collect information about the access networks available to the mobile terminals at any time and in any location. By correlating this information, it becomes possible to optimize the service quality through continuous adaptation of the multimedia session's parameters and service path towards identifying the best match between the momentary network and service context on one hand, and a "target" service profile negotiated by the users on the other hand.