The Release 5 CN has many additions compared with Release 99 CNs.

Release 4 alre ady included the change in the CN CS domain when the MSC was divided into the MSC server and the Media Gateway (MGW). Also, the GMSC was divided into the GMSC server and the MGW. Release 5 co ntains the first phase of the IMS, which will enable a standardized approach for IP-based s ervice provision via the PS domain as discussed in Chapter 2. The capabilities of the IMS will be fur ther enhanced in Release 6. The Release 6 IMS will allow the provision of services similar to the CS domain services from the PS domain. The following summarizes the elements in the Release 5-based architecture, added on top of Release 99 and Release 4 architectures. The Release 5 architectu re is presented in Figure 5.13, with the simplification that the registers, now part of Home Subscr iber Server (HSS), are shown only as independent items without all the connections to the other element s shown.