This IDC study looks at the emerging market for the products that support network transformation based on IP technology — a major goal of tier 1 carriers worldwide. On the fixed-line side, the core of next-generation network (NGN) switching transformation involves softswitches and media gateways. As IDC predicted in previous documents, this activity has accelerated over the past year based not only on the increasing importance of VoIP and multimedia in carrier networks but also on the need for carriers to transform their networks into more efficient, IT-based, and service-agile frameworks. This IDC study also evaluates recent trends, identifies future growth opportunities, and provides a five-year revenue forecast. "While IMS and multimedia services are critical dependencies for carrier network transformation, VoIP continues to drive much of the industrywide progress toward the ongoing deployment of NGN switching infrastructure," notes Tom Valovic, IDC's director of VoIP Infrastructure.