Interworking Function (IWF)

As operators deploy LTE, they have to manage integration and interoperability between multiple network elements of different vendors, across different access technologies. Signalling Interworking is becoming a key function to help enable service scenarios faster and more cost-efficient.

What Interworking Function (IWF) does

The Interworking Function (IWF) bridges 2G, 3G, 4G/LTE, Fixed and Wi-Fi network technologies, as well as integration with IT and Billing environments. By means of this Interworking Function, operators can centrally resolve interoperability issues and enable use cases across Network and IT systems from different vendors.

The Interworking Function provides:

• Interworking
• Protocol conversion and mediation
• Service logic
• Routing
• Support for a wide range of protocols, such as Diameter, RADIUS, HTTP, LDAP and SS7

Typical use cases for IWF are:

• Diameter interface mediation (dealing with proprietary extensions/variants of the protocol)
• Fixed/Wi-Fi - Mobile convergence (RADIUS – Diameter interworking)
• 3G - LTE interworking (Diameter – MAP/SS7 IWF as defined in 3GPP TS 29.305)
• Network - IT interworking (Diameter – SOAP, XML/HTTP, LDAP …)
• Database access and interaction, Big Data enablement

Nomios UK' IWF Gateway

Nomios UK delivers the IWF gateway, providing any-to-any interworking, routing and service orchestration. This carrier-grade, high-performance solution is designed for enabling signalling use cases across Network and IT systems from any vendor, without the need for R&D. With better control over complex integration projects, the IWF gateway is the smartest choice to get new services deployed faster and cheaper than any one-off IT project could ever achieve.