Nortel Brings Next Generation Communications To The Comfort Of Your Own Home

New IP Powered Home Packages Allow Carriers To Expand Residential Offerings With Flexible Converged Ip Communication Bundles
TORONTO – According to recent market research commissioned by Nortel* [NYSE/TSX: NT], consumers want more convenience, flexibility and cost savings from their VoIP and communication applications. This is good news for service providers, thanks to Nortel’s new IP Powered Home solutions – variety of flexible, innovative application bundles for the consumer market that combine personal Internet, TV and home phone services into simple, customizable packages.


Many consumers don’t have access to converged communications capabilities that enable consistent IP communications across fixed phones, computers, mobile phones and television. Although some consumers today have the beginnings of unified communications solutions in their homes, very few have access to advanced functionalities like the ability to easily send instant messages (IM) and call people from any device – fixed phone, computer, mobile phone or TV. Nortel’s IP Powered Home solutions make these new levels of communication a reality, bringing consumers truly unified and simplified home communications.

The market research, conducted by RONIN Corporation**, included a web survey of over 2,000 consumers across the United States, France and the United Kingdom. It was designed to gain insight into consumer perception on VoIP, converged mobility, web services and one-number services. The research found that one in four consumers found converged mobility – the ability to make phone calls over WiFi and cellular networks via a dual-mode phone – to be a highly appealing service. The level of appeal was also found to be higher among current VoIP users than non-users, and among consumers with data-enabled cell phones.

“Consumers are looking for communications that simplify and enhance their lives,” said John McCready, general manager, Carrier Multimedia Networks, Nortel. “We’ve deployed multiple applications to carriers serving millions of consumers worldwide and we’re building on our success in this space with our IP Powered Home so carriers can sell complete communications packages to consumers. These packages include the most sought after voice and multimedia services with a variety of SIP soft-clients, phones and videophones. Not only are these attractive, affordable options for the consumer market, but they help enable carriers to boost their revenue and reduce customer churn with a wider variety of subscription based services.”

Nortel’s IP Powered Home solutions allow service providers to offer a core VoIP bundle and three optional bundles. The core bundle includes advanced phone services for the home like affordable VoIP lines for each member of the family, videocalling features and one number for both fixed and mobile phones. The core bundle also includes Nortel’s Personal Agent, a web-based tool that allows users to take control of their communications by defining how calls are routed based on time of day, day of the week or caller ID as well as the ability to configure ringing profiles so that calls ring only on the home phone, simultaneously on the home phone and the mobile phone, or in sequence. The IP Powered Home bundles build on an extensive open developer program providing consumers with a choice of easy-to-set-up soft-clients as well as a variety of SIP phones, videophones or adaptors for existing analog phones.

The three optional bundles are:

IPPH-4-Mobile – This mobile option provides a dual-mode phone that operates on both cellular and WiFi networks and can be used in the home or as a regular mobile phone. The user can benefit from inexpensive call rates at home using WiFi or make and receive calls on normal cellular networks while out.

IPPH-4-Web – This web option, built on a combination of web services and telecom functionality allows users to expand their communications onto the Internet. Without displaying a phone number, consumers can be called directly from a link on their webpage, blog, social network like Facebook or even email signature using simple voice or a full video service.

IPPH-4-TV – This TV option allows users to experience the power of the IP Powered Home base bundle from the comfort of their living room. The user can now manage voicemail messages, call logs, instant messages and see who’s calling on their TV. They can also initiate calls from their TV and easily reject, ignore, or forward calls using their TV remote.
The IP Powered Home bundles can be deployed in next-generation and IMS networks, allowing carriers to benefit from the innovative services today with the network architecture of their choice. To enhance the IP Powered Home experience, the solution also leverages Nortel’s recently announced Adaptive Application Engine software, a next-generation SIP application server that provides new residential features like multiple line ringing, click-to-connect, auto call-back, self-provisioning or the ability to add friends registered with other instant messaging providers to the Nortel PC Client.

Nortel is building on its experience in consumer business for carriers with deployments such as the “Twin” offering launched by Neuf Cegetel in France, which accounted for 30% of the growth** in the number of Neuf Mobile contracts sold during the final quarter of 2007and a WiFi SIP phone for home communications launched by LG-Dacom in Korea, which attracted more than 300,000 new subscribers in just nine months.

According to Dell’Oro Group, Nortel is the worldwide leader in carrier VoIP and has maintained that position for the last six years (2002-2007). Nortel has shipped more than 88 million carrier IP voice and multimedia ports to over 250 carriers globally and Nortel’s IMS-ready solutions have been adopted by over 150 customers, including carriers operating across wireline, wireless and cable domains. IP Powered Home Core and the IPPH-4-TV bundles are available today, with the remaining bundles expected to be available for trial in 2008. For more information on IP Powered Home, check out the Nortel podcast on the solution.

Certain statements in this press release may contain words such as “could”, “expects”, “may”, “anticipates”, “believes”, “intends”, “estimates”, “targets”, “envisions”, “seeks” and other similar language and are considered forward-looking statements or information under applicable securities legislation. These statements are based on Nortel’s current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about the operating environment, economies and markets in which Nortel operates. These statements are subject to important assumptions, risks and uncertainties, which are difficult to predict and the actual outcome may be materially different from those contemplated in forward-looking statements. For additional information with respect to certain of these and other factors, see Nortel’s Annual Report on Form10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other securities filings with the SEC. Unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws, Nortel disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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