Upfront
NATD in the news
Avaya
Cisco
NEC
Nortel
SIP
snom
VoIP

Upfront

Mitel and Inter-Tel announce completion of merger
Mitel Networks Corporation and Inter-Tel Incorporated announced the completion of their merger. As a result of the merger, Inter-Tel is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mitel and Inter-Tel stockholders will receive $25.60 in cash for each Inter-Tel share they held prior to the closing. The company will now be #1 in the North American SMB market, #2 in the Western European IP PBX market, the overall leader in the U.K. communications market and continues to grow its operations globally. With three trusted brands (Mitel, Inter-Tel and Lake), the company offers customers a broad choice of solutions from the very small to the very large, from IP enabled to pure IP unified communications, from standard solutions to tailored, from single site to multi-site and from outright capital purchase options through sophisticated managed services. Mitel will maintain Inter-Tel’s Arizona headquarters, which will become the center of operations for the combined U.S. business and serve as an important center of R&D excellence.
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NATD in the news

Multi-Tech announces serial to Wi-Fi device server
Multi-Tech Systems, Inc. is announcing a new member of its MultiConnect family of external device servers that connect serial interfaced products to a variety of communications networks. Specifically, the new MultiConnect WF Device Server provides a serial to IP network interface via 802.11b wireless networking. It provides the ability to turn virtually any legacy serial device into Wi-Fi IP connected equipment. The MultiConnect WF device server provides the ability to IP-enable serial devices allowing more options for data acquisition, device management and industrial control than would otherwise be available. The device server integrates a processor, proprietary operating system, TCP/IP stack and an 802.11b wireless network connection to provide a complete serial-to-Wi-Fi connectivity solution. The MultiConnect WF device server is packaged in a rugged, industrial chassis with an RS-232 interface connector and an 802.11b wireless interface. It can be desktop or panel mounted. LEDs provide visual monitoring of link, activity, several RS-232 signals and power. It is available with external or RS-232 power options.
Visit www.multitech.com.
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Avaya

911 Enable solutions now rated “Avaya Compliant”
911 Enable announced that its 911 call routing and emergency location solutions are compliant with IP telephony and SIP solutions from Avaya.  911 Enable provides businesses with highly reliable emergency call routing solutions that ensure the safety of their entire workforce.  911 Enable is now compliance-tested by Avaya for compatibility with release 4.0 of Avaya Communication Manager IP telephony software and with release 3.1.2 of Avaya SIP Enablement Services, an open, multipurpose routing platform that allows an enterprise to easily integrate multivendor telephony, collaboration and application services.  911 Enable solutions also protect a company’s investment in its existing network endpoints by supporting a broad range of Avaya phones, including digital and analog devices.  911 Enable is a member of the Avaya DeveloperConnection Program—an initiative to develop, market and sell innovative third-party products that interoperate with Avaya technology and extend the value of a company’s investment in its network.   
Visit www.devconnectprogram.com or www.911Enable.com.


KAISERComm becomes an authorized Enterprise Avaya BusinessPartner
KaiserComm announced that it has been approved as an authorized Enterprise partner of Avaya BusinessPartner Program, a reseller program encompassing more than 2,500 companies around the globe. This enables KaiserComm to offer their customers the complete portfolio of Avaya enterprise solutions. KaiserComm has also been an Avaya BusinessPartner for SMB solutions for the past two years. KaiserComm designs, sells and implements business communications systems and services to businesses nationwide. As an authorized Enterprise BusinessPartner for Avaya Inc., KaiserComm will have access to the technical support and training needed to help companies use Intelligent Communications solutions to transform their operations. Members of the Avaya BusinessPartner program have the opportunity to achieve advanced certifications in Avaya systems and software, as well as in multi-vendor solutions that incorporate technology from other vendors. Partner companies also must meet rigorous criteria for service delivery and customer satisfaction.
Visit www.avaya.com or www.kaisercomm.net.
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Cisco

Clarus Systems announces strategic alliance with BlueWater Communications Group
Clarus Systems, Inc., a leading provider of integrated management and testing solutions for IP Communication deployments, upgrades and transformations, announced a strategic alliance with BlueWater Communications Group, a high-performance organization focused on providing holistic, cohesive Unified Communications and infrastructure services to growing companies. The alliance allows BlueWater to provide certification solutions that test and verify proper functionality of Cisco IP Communications deployments direct to clients. Through this partnership, BlueWater Communications Group will resell ClarusIPC to their enterprise customers for use in managing in-service IP telephony systems. Network engineers will be trained to utilize ClarusIPC – the leading automated management and testing application that maximizes system availability while optimizing system performance – to remotely test, document and certify all aspects of the telephony environment. ClarusIPC is scaleable and offers remote certification, configuration, analysis and troubleshooting – further validating operational integrity while building the foundation for a Unified Communications network.
Visit www.clarussystems.com or www.blueh2ogroup.com.
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NEC

Manatee County leverages NEC relationship to upgrade communications system
NEC Unified Solutions, Inc. continues to service Manatee County, Florida, a relationship it has held for over 15 years, by delivering a centralized, hybrid-IP telephony system that aims to improve the local government’s emergency communications response and accommodate for the County’s increasing population and infrastructure.  By incorporating a system that supported IP, Manatee County gained the flexibility required to add new IP-based applications that can offer greater assistance in disaster recovery and emergency response, system failover and enhanced redundancy, and scalability to meet future County needs. Manatee County implemented NEC’s UNIVERGE NEAX 2400 IPX telephony server, UNIVERGE NEAX 2000 IPS telephony server, OpenWorX Business Attendant System and Q-Master for its contact center.  Business Attendant System is an application that provides advanced attendant features on a desktop PC through a Microsoft Windows interface.  This application allows Manatee County to efficiently manage increased call volume, while ensuring the highest level of service.  Similarly, the Q-Master contact center solution is modular and allows for the County to customize exactly how each phone call, email, fax and Web-based interaction will pass through a specific facility at any given time of the day.
Visit www.necunified.com.
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Nortel

Nortel still lacks focus - Genuity
Nortel delivered weak Q2/07, with top-line revenue of $2.56 billion, almost $200 million below consensus of $2.75 billion and our expectation of $2.72 billion. Earnings were weak as well, with GAAP EPS of a loss of $0.07 and adjusted EPS of a loss of $0.07 (excluding foreign exchange gains), below consensus of $0.09. Gross margin was solid at north of 41%, driven by the benefits of the company’s business transformation in addition to increased discipline with regards to pricing. The offset to this, of course, is lower revenue which impacts operating leverage. Unfortunately, due in large part to decisions made well prior to Mike Z arriving, Nortel lacks scale in many growth markets within the Carrier space. With our expectation that the strong will get stronger due to their economies of scale and ability to meet customer’s pricing requirements, Nortel may continue to lose share, effectively putting more pressure on cost cutting to deliver profitability. While the company’s Q3/07 forecast was weak, it is retaining its full-year goals of revenue flat to down slightly and operating margin at 5%. We would note that Q4/07 is likely to be positively impacted to the tune of $300+ million by a decrease in deferred revenue. While this contributes to GAAP profitability, we should note that this has no impact on cash flow and in some cases, could refer to business from some time ago.
Visit www.nortelnetworks.com.
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SIP

Epygi Technologies and Grandstream Networks complete interoperability testing
Epygi Technologies, Inc. and Grandstream Networks, Inc. announced that the two firms have completed interoperability testing between the Epygi Quadro Series IP-PBX and the Grandstream SIP Phones: GXP2000 SIP Enterprise Phone and the BudgeTone SIP Consumer Phones.  Epygi's Quadro product line includes a feature-rich range of hybrid IP-PBXs, VoIP gateways and conference server applications for small to medium sized businesses. Quadros incorporate VPN encryption, firewall protection, voice packet prioritization and PBX resources to facilitate call handling, auto attendant, voice mail and conferencing. Everything comes in a compact affordable package with all functions available at no extra cost. Quadro assimilates easily into any standard network and supports a variety of telephone sets in addition to the certified Grandstream models.
Visit www.grandstream.com or www.epygi.com.
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snom

snom announces compatibility with Third Lane PBX Manager
snom technology AG announced that its phones are supported by Third Lane Technologies’ PBX Manager, software developed for Asterisk or Asterisk Business Edition. As a distributor for both snom and Third Lane, ABP Technology offers customers one-stop shopping for a complete, user-friendly VoIP telephony system.  PBX Manager provides a Web management interface for Asterisk that greatly reduces the time and effort required to configure and manage Asterisk-based PBXs. While providing a simple interface for the day-to-day PBX management, this software does not limit users in implementing of custom features and advanced customizations. PBX Manager eases phone configuration through its template-based format - allowing solution providers and end users to develop one file that can be used in company-wide configurations rather than having to manually configure each phone individually. “snom has always believed the customer has the right to choose which products and services will best fit their specific needs; that’s why we have been focusing so heavily on certified interoperability across all VoIP system components in recent months,” said Michael Knieling, CFO and executive vice president of marketing and sales for snom.
Visit www.snom.com, www.thirdlane.com or www.abptech.com.

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VoIP

VoicePulse warns stranded VoIP consumers of predatory policies
VoicePulse Inc. issued a statement warning stranded VoIP consumers of deals accompanied by unethical and predatory policies. Hundreds of thousands of VoIP customers were left searching for a new provider due to the demise of SunRocket, a defunct Virginia-based service provider. "Consumers should thoroughly read the terms of service they are agreeing to before signing up," urged Ravi Sakaria, VoicePulse's President. "It's very easy to skip over the details of the trial period, refund policy, or support hours when you're scrambling to restore service. Companies offering a deal in exchange for a one or two year prepayment might have no reason to continue offering you satisfactory service after you've paid up." Many startup VoIP providers offer an insufficient 14-day return policy. Consumers should ask for an extension, especially if they are porting their phone number, a process which can take more than 30 days. Another possible pitfall to watch out for is an early cancellation policy for prepaid plans. Providers may refuse to refund as much as 50% of the prepaid amount after the end of the trial period. VoicePulse only offers month-to-month calling plans, cancellable at any time.
Visit www.voicepulse.com.
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