Nortel Selects Verizon IP Trunking Service to Centralize Its U.S. Corporate Voice Infrastructure

New Capabilities, Network Efficiencies, Cost Savings Were Key Drivers for Nortel’s Selection

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. - To help achieve its objectives of reducing IT budgets and improving operational efficiencies, Nortel has selected Verizon IP Trunking service with Burstable Enterprise Shared Trunks (BEST), which will enable Nortel to consolidate its U.S. corporate voice infrastructure.

Under a new three-year agreement, Nortel will evolve its traditional voice system to Verizon IP Trunking VoIP service, which is based on SIP (Session Initiation Protocol). In addition, Verizon Business will manage Nortel’s existing Verizon Private IP network, enabling Nortel to benefit from expanded managed network service capabilities and industry-leading service level agreements.

With Verizon IP Trunking service, Nortel will move from a distributed voice architecture to one that is simplified, centralized and more cost-effective. The BEST feature, which Verizon Business introduced earlier this year, is an on-demand networking capability that enables customers to use idle trunk capacity from one or more locations to dynamically accommodate increases in traffic at other locations, providing more design flexibility and reducing the total number of trunks required across the enterprise. Two key Verizon IP Trunking features that enable the Nortel solution include DID (direct inward dial) transport to a Nortel central access point, and E911 support.

“Consolidating our voice infrastructure to VoIP will provide network efficiencies that serve to increase productivity while driving costs lower,” said Steve Bandrowczak, chief information officer for Nortel. “In the initial phase of deployment alone, we anticipate significant operational savings with a return on investment in a little over a year. The endgame is that it allows us to focus on our business, which is serving our customers.”

The centralized SIP-based trunking solution that Nortel is implementing marries two key elements: Nortel’s industry-leading Communications Server (CS) 2100, which is a carrier-grade, centralized call server, and Verizon IP Trunking with BEST. The result is an infrastructure that is designed to drive efficiencies today and quickly respond to tomorrow’s evolving business requirements. Verizon Business and Nortel are teaming up to offer this SIP-based solution to enterprise customers.

“This is a great example of Nortel implementing a solution that our two companies offer as partners to our mutual enterprise customers,” said Blair Crump, group president of worldwide sales for Verizon Business. “In addition to the return-on-investment benefits and network efficiencies that can be realized from using voice over IP, companies can also benefit from the enhanced collaboration and ease of communication such solutions afford.”

BEST Recognized as ’Unique in the Industry’

Verizon Business’ innovative VoIP portfolio was recently highlighted in a new report from IDC, “IDC Marketscape: U.S. Enterprise Telecommunications 2008 Vendor Analysis, Doc # 214572, October 2008.” IDC noted that Verizon Business boasts “one of the leading VoIP platforms with marketable points of differentiation,” such as the BEST capability built into the company’s IP Trunking offering, “which is seen as unique in the industry.”

The Nortel Communications Server 2100 is a converged enterprise switch offering the carrier-grade reliability and scalability benefits needed to implement a data center model together with SIP trunking. The CS 2100 provides the technology, scalability and flexibility required for centralization, while providing the VoIP foundation to accommodate advanced applications such as unified communications, SOA (service oriented architecture) and mobility services.

Verizon Business’ comprehensive portfolio of VoIP services comprises five offerings that can be employed as stand-alone or in combination to create individual customer solutions. The services are: IP Flexible T1 (available only in the United States), IP Integrated Access, IP Trunking, Hosted IP Centrex and Managed IP PBX.

For more information, visit www.verizonbusiness.com/products/voip.

About Verizon Business
Verizon Business, a unit of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ), operates the world’s most connected public IP network and uses its industry-leading global-network capabilities to offer large-business and government customers an unmatched combination of security, reliability and speed. The company integrates advanced IP communications and information technology (IT) products and services to deliver leading enterprise solutions including managed services, security, mobility, collaboration and professional services. These solutions power innovation and enable the company’s customers to do business better. For more information, visit www.verizonbusiness.com.