Eight Avaya Customers Recognized as Computerworld Honors Program Laureates for IP Telephony Communications Projects

Avaya IP Telephony, Contact Center, Messaging and Mobility Applications prove their benefits to companies and their customers, and to government organizations and their constituents

20-Jun-2006, BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – Eight Avaya customers have been named by the IDG’s Computerworld Honors Program as Laureates for projects that have used communications technology to benefit society. The customers include both public and private sector organizations netting a wide-range of benefits as a result of implementing Avaya MultiVantage™ Communications Applications - including IP Telephony networking, contact center, mobility and messaging. Avaya Inc. (NYSE:AV) is a leading global provider of business communications applications, systems and services.

Each year for nearly two decades, members of the Computerworld Honors Program’s Chairman’s Committee identify the organizations whose use of information technology has been especially noteworthy for the originality of its conception, the breadth of its vision and the significance of its benefit to society. The Computerworld Honors Laureates were commemorated during the 18th Annual Laureates Medal Ceremony and Gala Awards Evening recently at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C.

“Technology is especially beneficial in the hands of those with vision to see the opportunities it can enable,” said Lou D’Ambrosio, senior vice president and president, Sales and Marketing, Avaya. “It is especially gratifying to see how Avaya communications technologies have positively affected a broad spectrum of beneficiaries through the creative, strategic vision of our customers.”

The three private sector companies and five public sector organizations include:


* Big Bend Community College, Wash. – Bringing the classroom closer to where students live and work served by Big Bend Community College meant building an infrastructure that could deliver instruction across a 4600 square mile area. The partnership between Avaya IP Telephony and Extreme networks enabled the college to gain the infrastructure needed, improve services and build new innovations for a virtual, educational environment.
* Charter Steel – Comprehensive, reliable communications are essential for a company that might have a multi-million dollar order or 90 tons of steel at risk if the proper employees could not be reached. Migrating to an IP Telephony network enabled Charter to establish a single, voice and data network with consistent features and functions across locations, including remote and mobile workers.
* City of Drancy, France – As the first city in France to deploy IP Telephony and unified messaging, Drancy enhanced services and security for its citizens without raising local taxes as a result of the technology. City employees have greater communications mobility; contact centers can be established in as little as two hours when needed, and security cameras enable first responders to see the crisis, enabling their services to respond more appropriately.
* City of Indianapolis, Ind. – A pioneer in using technology to keep budgets down while delivering better services to city and county residents, Avaya IP telephony and contact center solutions used by Indianapolis have yielded more than $1 million in savings. Citizens now have easier access to more information, such as traffic, scheduling inspections and checking permit status.
* Entergy – Connecting the utility’s six contact centers, centralizing management and administration and increasing reliability and business continuity paid a significant benefit beyond reducing costs. When Hurricane Katrina hit the New Orleans based company, Entergy activated its failover option and transferred traffic to its Little Rock backup site. The centers never were offline and customers continued to have access to Entergy during the time of most critical need.
* Genworth Financial – Avaya Contact Center agent technology enabled Genworth to broaden the geographic reach for skilled Underwriters, streamline access for customers and maintaining regulatory compliance.
* Marion County, Fla. – As one of the first government agencies in Florida to adopt VOIP, the county reduced communications costs by more than $200,000 this year alone. Improved communications features provide easier access to public servants and information, plus greater collaboration and mobility.
* Orange County, Fla. – Three hurricanes in two months exemplified the benefits of migrating to IP telephony for greater flexibility. The county rapidly deployed critical communications in heavily stricken areas, and supplemented overburdened 911 operations using interactive response and 311 information lines.


The technology achievements of the Avaya customers honored by the program are preserved and protected in national archives, and in over 250 universities, museums and research institutions throughout the world. Additional information about the program and a Global Archive of past laureate case studies and oral histories can be found at the Computerworld Honors website: www.cwhonors.org.

The Avaya customers named as ComputerWorld Honors Laureates are members of the Avaya Customers Showcase and Reference (CRSP) program. The CRSP showcases how leading companies and organizations are using Avaya business communications applications, systems and services to better serve customers, improve employee productivity and enhance operational effectiveness.

About Avaya
Avaya Inc. designs, builds and manages communications networks for more than 1 million businesses worldwide, including 90 percent of the FORTUNE 500®. Focused on businesses large to small, Avaya is a world leader in secure and reliable Internet Protocol (IP) telephony systems and communications software applications and services.

Driving the convergence of voice and data communications with business applications – and distinguished by comprehensive worldwide services – Avaya helps customers leverage existing and new networks to achieve superior business results. For more information visit the Avaya website: http://www.avaya.com.

About Computerworld
Computerworld, the “Voice of IT Management,” is the most trusted source for the critical information needs of senior IT management. Computerworld’s integrated offering form the U.S.-based hub of the world’s largest (58-edition) global IT media network through its weekly publication, Computerworld.com Web site, focused conference series and customer research. In the past five years alone, Computerworld has won more than 100 print and online awards for editorial and design excellence, surpassing its direct competition by an order of magnitude. Recognition includes the 2005 Magazine of the Year Award from the American Society of Business Publication Editors and a Jesse H. Neal Award for “Best News Coverage.” In print since 1967, Computerworld is the source for information technology management, with a guaranteed rate base of 180,050, a total print audience of 1,138,000 (IntelliQuest CIMS 2005 Business Influencer Study) and an online audience of over 1 million unique monthly visitors (Omniture).

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Deb Kline

Media Relations

Avaya Inc.

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