LONDON and TORONTO -- BT has been awarded three separate contracts to provide converged Internet Protocol (IP) telephony solutions from Nortel Networks* [NYSE/TSX: NT] for South Cambridgeshire District Council, City of Lincoln Council and Brentwood Borough Council. These awards demonstrate the continued commitment of BT and Nortel Networks to providing innovative, practical convergence solutions that help organisations transform the delivery of public sector services and make it easier for citizens to connect with them.

“Local government authorities are now facing various challenges such as instituting flexible working practices, improving internal communications, knowledge sharing, managing procurement more efficiently to get better value for citizens, and transforming customer service,” said John Anderson, director, BT Government. “These contract wins are just a small illustration of our success in understanding and responding to these needs.”

“We consider the government and public sector to be one of the most vital markets in the UK for deploying Nortel Networks converged network solutions,” said Peter Kelly, president, Enterprise Networks, EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa), Nortel Networks. “Through BT, our innovative, practical enterprise networks solutions help transform the delivery of public sector services, making it easier for citizens to access them.”

South Cambridgeshire District Council has chosen to implement a completely converged IP telephony solution as part of its relocation to new premises. This solution will include Nortel Networks Communication Server 1000 IP telephony system, 450 IP phones (including 50 IP Softphones 2050), and a converged local area network (LAN) infrastructure based on Nortel NetworksPassport* 8600 and Nortel Networks BayStack* 460.

Preferring an evolutionary rather than revolutionary approach, South Cambridgeshire District Council based its converged network on an existing Nortel Networks Meridian* 1* PBX. The Council was looking for high reliability and competitive features for its network, combined with flexible and cost effective services for its citizens. eGovernment capabilities and more productive utilisation of staff were crucial to the Council’s decision. South Cambridgeshire District Council serves a rural area set in 350 square miles of countryside around Cambridge, with a population of over 130,000.

As part of its ongoing eGovernment strategy, the City of Lincoln Council chose a complete voice/data converged network. This will include a Nortel Networks Communication Server 1000 IP telephony system; 500 IP phones; a LAN based on Passport and BayStack; Nortel Networks Symposium* Contact Centre Server; Nortel Networks CallPilot* unified messaging; and Nortel Networks Integrated Call Director for ‘find me/follow me’ service, which BT will integrate with voice recording, call logging and operator modules from Datapulse. The Council is aiming to deliver e-services to its citizens as a priority to meet government targets, and looking for improved citizen engagement of its 84,000 people through the implementation of the Symposium Contact Centre Server.

Brentwood Borough Council plans to use its new network to help meet eGovernment objectives and to service its citizens better. BT will integrate the council’s existing voice and data networks, bringing Brentwood BC a totally converged data network that will be easier to manage and will ultimately result in better council services for the local community.

Nortel Networks technology for this network will include a Nortel Networks Communication Server 1000 IP telephony system; 400 IP phones; a LAN based on Passport and BayStack; Symposium Contact Centre Server, CallPilot* unified messaging, and Nortel Networks Integrated Call Director. BT will also provide long-term network support and maintenance.

BT and Nortel Networks are working together as strategic partners, convinced of the need to develop new types of relationships between telecommunications operators and equipment vendors in order to cope with the challenges of increasing competition and the convergence of the telecom, IT and multimedia industries.

BT Group plc

Nortel Networks Ltd.