Source: snapvoip.blogspot.com

TORONTO – Nortel* [NYSE/TSX: NT] today announced new products that have been custom built for the small and medium business (SMB) market and work with current Nortel investments to grow and support each customer’s individual business. This includes a suite of new features for its multi-award-winning Business Communication Manager (BCM) 50 as well as new, innovative, SMB-centric IP phones, an advanced paging and text-messaging application suite, and a fully featured cordless digital phone with extensive reach.

"Nortel understands that one size does not fit all and that is why we offer SMB solutions that are specifically designed to meet the needs of these strategic customers," said Phil Edholm, chief technologist and vice president Network Architecture, Enterprise Solutions, Nortel. "In fact, building complete, end-to-end solutions specifically for SMBs, rather than re-purposing large enterprise solutions, is a key differentiator between Nortel and our competition. The end goal is to help our SMB customers stretch their dollar further as they strive to meet their unique business needs."

A simple software upgrade is all that is needed for Nortel’s BCM50 customers to immediately take advantage of new offerings like SIP trunking for more cost effective service provider access, advanced conferencing and many more. Furthermore, Nortel customers with Norstar key systems can extend up to 70 percent of their past investments by reusing existing equipment as they evolve to IP Telephony and converged communications with BCM50.

Nucleus, a Nortel SMB customer, has been in business since 1993 when they first started as an Internet Service Provider (ISP) in Calgary. "Today, we have 35 employees and are the fastest growing, independently owned and operated ISP in Western Canada," said Dave Berzins, president, Nucleus Inc. "Nortel understands that we’re a growing company and has provided us with products that are scalable such that they grow with us as we need to expand. Both Nortel and Nucleus share a common objective to provide high levels of support and service for our customers. When working with Nortel, we can concentrate on our core business while benefiting from Nortel’s commitment to providing us with tailored solutions that meet our business requirements."

"Small and medium businesses were once constrained by the limited technologies and communications tools available to them, and this impacted their ability to grow and succeed. But things are changing as companies like Nortel arm SMBs with customized technologies such as Internet access, contact center integration and remote working," said Ray Boggs, vice president SMB research, IDC. "SMBs can be a challenge to serve, since they want to access the latest technology, but they don’t want to throw away the equipment they already have. Nortel’s approach provides an upgrade path to advanced capabilities while leveraging previous SMB investments."

During the past 20 years, Nortel has provided more than 15 million SMB desktops in over 80 countries globally with end-to-end solutions that allow them to scale and build networks that fit their needs today and into the future. Today’s launch works together with an already available suite of SMB data solutions that cost 30 percent less than our leading competitor and features wireless products with up to twice the reach. It also continues to demonstrate Nortel’s ongoing commitment to helping SMBs benefit from a complete converged solution through a single vendor under the umbrella of a common, easy to use management platform.

Nortel’s new SMB products include:

• Business Communications Manager (BCM) 50, Release 3.0: provides new and existing customers SIP trunking enhancements, new conferencing and reporting features, improved applications, better platform integration, operability improvements and support of the new SMB-centric IP Phone 1200 Series. This is the third major release of Nortel’s multi-award winning BCM50 product that has sold over 75 000 units since May 2005.Currently available in NA, CALA, and Asia.

• IP Phone 1200 Series: provides an innovative, feature rich portfolio of IP telephones that come pre-programmed with the most common telephony features used by SMBs such as autodial, conference, and messaging, and can be easily customized to access more than 400 sophisticated BCM features. For the first time, SMB customers have VoIP desktop clients at prices similar to digital phones. Currently available in NA, CALA, and Asia.

• Advanced Paging Productivity Pack (APP Pack): features an innovative suite of software applications for BCM that gives SMBs access to sophisticated overhead paging and text-messaging capabilities. APP Pack enables a highly mobile workforce to stay connected while improving customer service and providing a common, in-store experience within a retail site, or across multiple sites. Available in NA only.

• Business Series Terminal T7406E: provides a new cordless digital telephone for Norstar and BCM customers, with extensive range - up to 1000 feet - providing employees with sophisticated features and capabilities in or around the office. Available in NA and parts of CALA (Mexico and the Caribbean, excluding Trinidad and Jamaica).

Nortel marketing programs are available to assist authorized channel partners in providing support to SMB customer’s converged voice, data and application needs. These programs are tailored by region and include such items as partner tools focused on demand generation, straightforward SMB solution packages, customer centric promotions, incentives and optional services to facilitate an optimized deployment.