Support for IMS virtual clients in multi-operator environment

An Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) node in a first IMS domain, wherein the IMS node is configured to manage connections between virtual IMS clients and a plurality of available IMS service providers, the IMS node comprising:

• communications circuitry configured to communicate with one or more devices via one or more communications networks;
• and
• processing circuitry operatively connected to the communications circuitry and configured to:
• register a wildcard IMS Public User Identity (IMPU) in the first IMS domain responsive to receiving a registration request message from an enterprise node (EN);
• receive a virtual IMPU assigned to a virtual IMS client of the virtual IMS clients, wherein
• the virtual IMPU is utilized to originate and receive IMS session data regardless of actual IMS domain,
• the virtual IMPU comprises a virtual IMS domain name and a username part associated with a username part of the wildcard IMPU,
• the EN serves as a private branch exchange (PBX) and is configured to manage the virtual IMS clients, and
• the virtual IMS client corresponds to a specific user;
• receive a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) invite message comprising the virtual IMPU to initiate a session with a destination user equipment (UE), wherein an IMS service provider is allocated by the EN to the virtual IMPU used in a session initiation request that was received by the EN from the virtual IMS client comprising the virtual IMPU;
• and
• responsive to reception of the SIP invite message, establish an IMS session between the virtual IMS client and the destination UE.

A system for managing connections between one or more virtual Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) clients and a plurality of available IMS service providers, the system comprising:

• an IMS node in a first IMS domain;
• and
• an enterprise node (EN) comprising first processing circuitry configured to:
• communicatively connect to the IMS node in the first IMS domain;
• and
• send a registration request message to the first IMS domain to register a wildcard IMS Public User Identity (IMPU),
• wherein the IMS node in the first IMS domain comprises second processing circuitry that is configured to:
• register the wildcard IMPU in the first IMS domain responsive to receiving the registration request message from the EN;
• receive a virtual IMPU assigned to a virtual IMS client of the one or more virtual IMS clients, wherein
• the virtual IMPU is utilized to originate and receive IMS session data regardless of actual IMS domain,
• the virtual IMPU comprises a virtual IMS domain name and a username part associated with a username part of the wildcard IMPU,
• the EN serves as a private branch exchange (PBX) and is configured to manage the virtual IMS clients, and
• the virtual IMS client corresponds to a specific user;
• wherein the first processing circuitry is configured to send a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) invite message comprising the virtual IMPU to the IMS node of an allocated IMS service provider to initiate a session with a destination user equipment (UE), wherein an IMS service provider is allocated by the EN to the virtual IMPU used in a session initiation request that was received by the EN from the virtual IMS client comprising the virtual IMPU, and
• wherein the IMS node in the first IMS domain is configured to establish, in response to receiving the SIP invite message, an IMS session between the virtual IMS client and the destination UE.