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Your industry review for: July 10, 2006
	Meet the new members	Convergence	Dealer news	Hosted PBX
	Market products	Partnerships	Mitel	Nortel
	NATD in the News	NATD Services	The Flag – EU & International News

Voda One initiates training on new Avaya solutions

Meet the new members - CTS

Mitel introduces IP Trader Solutions

NATD in the News

Voda One initiates training on new Avaya solutions

Voda One announced that it is carrying a full line of new Avaya solutions, including the 9600 Series of IP telephones, the Avaya S8400 Media Server, Avaya MultiVantage Express and Avaya On Demand. To support these feature-rich conver-gence products from Avaya, Voda One is offering a series of Tele Track training conferences to its registered ConvergencePoint members. In addition to announcing its ConvergencePoint program, Voda One recently announced specific vertical market bundles featuring Avaya solutions including Avaya Communication Manager, Avaya IP Office, Avaya Interactive Response and Avaya Speech Access, among others. Through its Convergence-Point site, resellers can quickly learn how these and other products can comprise a very specialized business need.

Visit http://www.convergencepoint.vodaone.com.

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Meet the new members

Computer Transportation Services

Computer Transportation Services (CTS) is a licensed and bonded transportation broker and air freight forwarder specializing in shipments of electronic equipment. Since 1979 CTS has provided customers with blanket-wrap trucking, domestic and international air freight and packaging and crating services nationwide. CTS specializes in reverse distribution and logistics programs for VARs and Resellers of telecom gear. For more details, visit www.moveit.com or www.ballparkrates.com.

Please contact Todd Partridge at 800-831-0030 with any questions.

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News in Review

Convergence

IBM applies 3Com telephony solution

The market will never look back. That market, according to Allan Scott, Senior Director for Global Alliances of 3Com Corporation, is the IP telephony technology market. "In 2005, IP telephony surpassed traditional telephones. And the market will never look back," Scott told Infotech. “The greatest growth (of IP telephony sales) is in the small and medium enterprise (SME) segment, which happens to be the sweet spot of the IBM System i. 3Com has been shipping IP telephony solutions to the mid-market since 1998 with over 28,000 IT telephony customers to date. This figure is expected to increase further with IBM’s customers patronizing it,” he added. The reasons for making the switch to IP telephony vary from company to company. The most common benefits cited can be categorized in two areas: cost savings and business advantage. "With 3Com announcing the first-ever solution of its kind on System I, you can join more than 28,000 pure IP telephony customers of all sizes that 3Com has served since 1998. In support of open standards, the 3Com IP telephony application will be available on System i5 and select iSeries models on the Linux operating system," an IBM brochure stated.
Visit www.ibm.com or www.3com.com.

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De aler news

CommPartners announces IPTrunking Service

CommPartners announced the launch of its new IPTrunking service for business customers migrating to VoIP services with existing IP PBX, legacy PBX and Key System equipment. CommPartners also has introduced a new, simplified pricing plan for business users offering three distinct service sets delivering the most popular Enterprise feature packages. The new services include an Enterprise IP Dialtone service, and Enterprise Standard and Enterprise Premium service sets with bundles of robust telephony and productivity enhancing features. A second CommPartners pricing alternative -- IPSelect--enables the sale of IP telephony services with a pricing model that may be more familiar to larger business customers. CommPartners IPTrunking and hosted VoIP services can also be purchased in conjunction with the company’s IPDirect service, which provides dedicated T-1 access from the customer premise to the CommPartners core network.

Visit www.commpartners.us.

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Hosted PBX

Vodavi and Speakeasy announce agreement for Hosted VoIP solutions

Vodavi Technology, Inc. and Speakeasy jointly announced a marketing partnership targeted at business Hosted VoIP solutions. As part of the agreement, Speakeasy will market Vodavi’s 6800 Series IP Terminals in conjunction with its flagship Business VoIP solution aimed at small business customers seeking a single provider for hosted voice and data connectivity. Speakeasy Business VoIP offers small and medium businesses the benefits and functionality of a sophisticated PBX phone system without having to invest in complex and expensive on-site hardware. The partnership gives Speakeasy’s direct sales and certified indirect solutions providers a Hosted Business VoIP solution that delivers Speakeasy’s broadband connectivity, local and long distance phone service along with Vodavi’s 6812 and 6830 carrier grade desktop terminals. The 6800 Series Hosted IP Terminals include a library of features and functionality business customers are accustomed to in a traditional desktop telephone. Unique features that make Vodavi’s IP Endpoints attractive for Hosted solutions include Enhanced Shared Line Appearance, Line Status Monitoring, and the first true hosted IP attendant console that can manage and monitor 24 line appearances with its unique single button direct station select (DSS) and busy lamp field (BLF).

Visit www.speakeasy.net or www.vodavi.com.

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Market products

Telecorp announces USB Xtension Recorder

Telecorp Products, Inc. announces a new solution to its product portfolio, the USB Xtension Recorder. The digital PBX recorder records all calls in high quality format ensuring exceptional sound quality. It is easy to install and requires no sound card or handset cord connection. The recorder is compatible with most digital PBX telephone systems and an adapter can be used for analog phone systems. The USB Extension Recorder is an enhancement to Telecorp's CentrEE Quality Monitoring. It is a standalone software application designed to record all calls and provide evaluation capabilities from its library of recordings, and can be used as a full‑time recording solution for legal, law enforcement and businesses such as Insurance Agencies and Brokers, as well as Government facilities with Quality Monitoring or communication verification needs.

Visit www.telecorpproducts.com.

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Partnerships

BICSI, TIA sign honorary and friendship agreement

BICSI and the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) signed an honorary and friendship agreement at TIA’s GLOBALCOMM 2006, intended to promote further growth and development of the telecommunications industry. The BICSI/TIA Agreement includes maintaining a regular exchange of information and considering possible cooperative activities between the two associations. Part of the new strategic direction for BICSI is to develop unique, relevant and dynamic professional communities around the world. Formulating a strong foundation for this strategic plan, the BICSI/TIA agreement represents the second partnership agreement that BICSI has signed within the past 18 months. TIA's Engineering Committee TR-42 produces a series of standards that cross boundaries between industries, through the creation of standards for information transportation systems in the built environment. BICSI has created a series of accreditation classes, trainings and publications based on this suite of standards.

Visit www.bicsi.org or www.tiaonline.org.

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OEM Roundup

Mitel

Mitel introduces IP Trader Solutions
Mitel unveiled a portfolio of IP Trader Solutions for financial services organizations. Mitel IP Trader Solutions combines the key benefits of native IP-based telephony solutions and provides the potential of significant cost reductions and dramatic business process improvements while making teleworking, business continuity and disaster recovery as easy as plug and trade. The Mitel IP Trader Solutions portfolio is comprised of the Mitel 3300 IP Communications Platform (ICP), Mobility and Team Working Solutions, as well as desktop endpoints including the recently-announced 5300 series IP Phones, the Navigator Converged Desktop Trading Solution and the Mitel IP Trading Turret.
Visit www.mitel.com.

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Nortel

Nortel says closer to class action settlements

Nortel Networks Corp. said it was closer to a $2.47 billion settlement of two major class action lawsuits in the United States after striking agreements in related Canadian actions. Nortel was hit with the lawsuits from shareholders who said they lost money because Nortel revised its financial outlook in 2001 and was required to restate results from 2001 through 2003 to correct bookkeeping errors. The company announced an agreement in principle in February on the lawsuits in the Southern District of New York, with the settlement conditional partly on resolution of related Canadian actions. Nortel said it has now signed a definitive settlement agreement with the lead plaintiffs in the cases, but still requires court, regulator and stock exchange approvals. Nortel will pay $575 million in cash and issue nearly 628.7 million shares, or 14.5 percent of its current equity, under the settlement plan. The Brampton, Ontario-based company has said it will take a $2.47 billion charge for the deal. One half of any funds recovered in Nortel's ongoing lawsuits against former chief executive Frank Dunn, and senior officers Douglas Beatty and Michael Gollogly will also be contributed to the settlement. Nortel fired the executives for cause in April 2004.

Visit www.nortel.com.

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The Flag: EU & International Telecom News for IATD Members

Convergence drives growth in communi-cation sales

Resellers focusing on convergence and IP telephony grew at 23% last year, more than double the average growth rate of 10.3% achieved by the sector as a whole. In total the top 200 UK Communications Resellers achieved revenues of £1.36 billion from the sale of Communications services. Those companies focusing on MPLS and Broadband VPN solutions also enjoyed above average growth of 15.6%. These are amongst the findings of “UK Communications Channels –the top 200,” the latest database report from IT Europa. The report, which provides detailed business profiles of each of the top 200 UK resellers of communications and convergence solutions, also reveals that income from new communications services such as broadband and MPLS networks represented 14% and 24% respectively of total revenues and that voice services remained the mainstay earner at 35% (the remainder of communications income came from traditional ISDN and leased line sales). Of the companies who sold telephony systems, 65% of their PBX solution sales over the last year were IP-based and only 24% traditional TDM based. The remaining 11% was derived from new hosted or IP Centrex solutions.

Visit www.iteuropa.co.uk.