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Alcatel OmniTouch Unified Communication Receives Frost & Sullivan's 2005 Enterprise Communications Applications Product of the Year Award

Posted on: Wednesday, 12 January 2005, 09:00 CST

Frost & Sullivan will present Alcatel with the 2005 Enterprise Communications Applications Product of the Year Award at tonight's Excellence in Information & Communications Technologies Awards Banquet for the Alcatel OmniTouch Unified Communication software suite.

Alcatel OmniTouch Unified Communication is one of the select available solutions that uses the latest industry standards and Internet technologies, such as XML/Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), and Voice XML (VXML). The suite comprises of four web-based, server-side application modules to optimize enterprise user communications, including:

-- My Messaging: A voiceXML-based unified messaging application for handling non-real-time communications with a single multi-media mailbox (voicemail, email and faxes) that leverages existing rich email clients. My Messaging capabilities are available both in the office and for mobile workers, providing access through a web client or any mobile device.

-- My Phone: An XML/SOAP-based real-time communications management tool that transforms any phone into a business phone, enabling access to full telephony features, including click-to-dial, unified directory access, and call log.

-- My Assistant: Provides one-number follow-me capabilities and call screening through personal routing rules defined by the individual user. These rules can be set up in the office or while away through web access or via touch tone from any mobile device. My Assistant is a powerful tool for mobile workers who need to stay in touch while traveling.

-- My Teamwork: Enables knowledge sharing and collaboration through voice and data conferencing. Through a simple-to-use web interface, employees can initiate conferences, including audio, data and application sharing, on demand or through scheduling on a regular basis.

According to Frost & Sullivan, the Alcatel OmniTouch Unified Communications suite additionally has a competitive advantage over other unified communications (UC) solutions in being SIP-compliant and not SIP-based. This difference enables it to reduce or eliminate proprietary elements, thereby ensuring interoperability with existing environments. The availability of XML Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) also makes it easier to customize, integrate, and extend the Alcatel solution into an existing corporate portal or business application. Alcatel also recently purchased Boston, Mass.-based conferencing software provider eDial, further strengthening its unified communications offering.

"An innovative and unique feature of the Alcatel unified communications solution is its use of web services," notes Frost & Sullivan research analyst Krithi Rao. "Unified communications, as an application that integrates with other business workflow applications, provides more enhanced features and is better positioned as a module within the enterprise's communication services infrastructure."

"In another strategic move, Alcatel announced an agreement with Verizon to deliver an all-in-one managed communications service solution to the U.S. small and medium business (SMB) market," observes Rao. "Alcatel's future plans are to include the Alcatel OmniTouch Unified Communication capabilities in this managed solution as well."

Since its introduction in 2004, Alcatel OmniTouch Unified Communication has had a significant number of live deployments. The wide-ranging end users include financial institutions, insurance companies, government, telecommunications, and retail sectors.

The Frost & Sullivan Award for Enterprise Communications Applications Product of the Year is presented to a company that has demonstrated excellence in new products and technologies within its industry. The recipient company has shown innovation by launching a broad line of emerging products and technologies.

Held in Scottsdale, Frost & Sullivan's 2005 Excellence in Information & Communications Technologies Awards Banquet honors world-class companies for outstanding performance and achievements in the information & communications technologies markets. An annual event, the banquet recognizes the quality and merit of distinguished individuals and companies.

"We are pleased to be awarded the Frost & Sullivan's Product of the Year Award for Enterprise Communications Applications as it demonstrates Alcatel's continued leadership in providing the most innovative enterprise communications solutions in the industry," said Chris Vuillaume, vice president, product marketing for Alcatel North American enterprise voice solutions. "Alcatel's depth of experience helps provide our customers with solutions that improve businesses' processes, while increasing productivity and decreasing costs."

About Alcatel

Alcatel provides communications solutions to telecommunications carriers, Internet service providers, and enterprises for delivery of voice, data, and video applications to their customers or employees. Alcatel brings its leading position in fixed and mobile broadband networks, applications, and services, to help its partners and customers build a user-centric broadband world. With sales of EURO 12.5 billion in 2003, Alcatel operates in more than 130 countries.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, a global growth consulting company founded in 1961, partners with clients to create value through innovative growth strategies. The foundation of this partnership approach is our Growth Partnership Services platform, whereby we provide industry research, marketing strategies, consulting, and training to our clients to help grow their business. A key benefit that Frost & Sullivan brings to its clients is a global perspective on a broad range of industries, markets, technologies, econometrics, and demographics. With a client list that includes Global 1000 companies, emerging companies, as well as the investment community, Frost & Sullivan has evolved into one of the premier growth consulting companies in the world. For more information, visit www.frost.com.

Source: Business Wire

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