Upcoming Meeting Notice


SAVE THE DATE:

NORTHEAST USA REGIONAL RECEPTION
SEPTEMBER 15, 2009
Tia's Restaurant - Boston, MA


MIDWEST REGIONAL RECEPTION
OCTOBER 14, 2009
Hotel Lumiere - St. Louis, MO


2010 WINTER CONFERENCE AND EXHIBIT SHOW
JANUARY 20 - 22, 2010
Royal Sonesta Hotel - New Orleans, LA

(Click here for more information.)

NATD in the news
Avaya
Cisco
EU market
Gateway
HP
Nortel
Power
Toshiba

NATD in the news

NACR introduces comprehensive monitoring service for multi-vendor communications networks
NACR (North American Communications Resource, Inc.), an Avaya Platinum BusinessPartner and seven-time BusinessPartner of the Year, announced the nationwide launch of ConvergeOne Vision, a comprehensive 24x7 monitoring and support service for multi-vendor converged IP networks. With its proactive network management capabilities, ConvergeOne Vision provides a complete, real-time view of network voice, video and data - monitoring key network performance metrics and identifying potential issues before they impact users. In the event of a difficulty, expert engineers and tools including the ConvergeOne Network Operations Center enable quick trouble resolution and root cause analysis. The comprehensive ConvergeOne Vision service will be available nationwide starting in August. Additional information, including a demonstration, will be presented at a webinar on September 10th.
Visit www.nacr.com.
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Avaya

Smoothstone selected for membership in Avaya DevConnect program
Smoothstone announced it has been selected by Avaya Inc. for membership in the Avaya DevConnect program. Smoothstone's SIP Trunking services complement Avaya's Communication Manager and IP Office platforms to provide the highest quality voice services over an MPLS network. As a result, customers gain more flexibility and cost savings over traditional carrier services and benefit from enhanced Business Continuity features. The Avaya DevConnect program promotes the development, compliance-testing and co-marketing of innovative third-party products that are compatible with standards-based Avaya solutions. Member organizations have expertise in a broad range of technologies - including IP telephony, contact centers and mobility applications - helping companies extend the value of multivendor networks and transform voice into an intelligent business application that delivers true value to the bottom line.
Visit www.smoothstone.com or www.avaya.com/devconnect.

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Cisco

Spanlink Communications wins Cisco Capital Partner of the Year Award
Spanlink Communications announced that it is the recipient of the U.S and Canada National Cisco Capital Partner of the Year award. "Everyone at Spanlink is proud to receive the National Cisco Capital Partner of the Year award," said Scott Christian, CEO of Spanlink Communications. "We value our Cisco partnership and are pleased with this recognition. Cisco capital offers creative financing options that help customers and the partner community. Spanlink and Cisco work hard to provide customers with leading business communications solutions that help them reduce costs and increase productivity." Cisco Partner Summit awards are presented at three levels: regional, theater and global. Cisco Partner Summit U.S. and Canada regional awards reflect a partner’s performance in a given geographic region of the United States or Canada. 
Visit www.spanlink.com or www.cisco.com.
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EU market

Damovo joins Aastra's Elite
Integrator Damovo is celebrating becoming Aastra's first UK Elite Enterprise partner and bolstering its portfolio with the addition of the vendor's Aastra 5000 SIP-based IP PBX. The Canadian communications vendor recently took the wraps off a new UK channel programme and Damovo is so far the only partner to bag a top-level Elite Enterprise badge. Damovo came into the Aastra fold through the firm's acquisition of Ericsson's Enterprise Communications Business last year. In the last 18 months, the Horsham-based VAR has deployed Aastra kit for customers, including Transport for London, the University of Birmingham and medical nutrition specialist Nutricia. Damovo will also be carrying the Aastra 5000, a pure SIP IP PBX aimed at the mid-market and the enterprise space. Aastra claims the software-based IP call control offering allows firms to take advantage of features including fixed mobile convergence and multi-media calling. It is designed to manage between 500 and 150,000 subscribers, and as many as 2,000 networked gateways.
Visit www.damovo.com or www.aastra.com.
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Gateway

Aculab announces availability of new ApplianX IP Gateway
Aculab announced the general availability of its new ApplianX IP Gateway, a resilient, single-purpose, easy-to-manage, plug-and-play device.  The ApplianX IP Gateway has been enhanced to support a multitude of capabilities and protocols.  It gives enterprises, SMBs and service providers a cost-effective, intuitive and flexible device to deliver next generation communications solutions through existing infrastructure.  Highly regarded for its ease of use and low administrative costs, the ApplianX IP Gateway supports a wide range of international protocols, making the device suitable for worldwide deployment in both enterprise and service provider networks. A number of leading solution providers, including Avaya and Cisco, have already certified ApplianX to allow integration with legacy TDM-based PBXs. The latest version of the ApplianX IP Gateway includes enhancements such as support for Diversion, Transfer, Message Waiting Indicator, Route Optimization, Three Party and Hold functions over SIP, Q.SIG and DPNSS protocols, making it the first gateway to deliver these capabilities to both SMB and enterprise customers.
Visit www.applianx.com.
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HP

HP tries telecom
HP has signed a massive alliance with telecom equipment giant Alcatel-Lucent. The agreement is binding for 10 years and will have more than 1,000 Alcatel-Lucent employees transferring over to HP. Through a series of partnerships, the two companies will offer joint telecommunications and information technology solutions to customers worldwide. The companies each hope to pull in "multibillion euros in net revenues" over the life of the contract. This creates something much like what Cisco is today: a multifaceted titan with deep expertise in networking technologies that can design, build and manage large networks -- using its own hardware products. HP looks like the dominant partner in this marriage, yet the alliance seems more important for Alcatel-Lucent. The pan-Atlantic telecom specialist is in debt, losing money and fighting for survival. The huge and profitable HP, on the other hand, is dipping a toe into the telecom waters to see whether the temperature's nice. If it's not, no big deal. HP is a market leader in other fields, such as PC systems and IT services.
Visit www.hp.com or www.alcatel-lucent.com.
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Nortel

Nortel unveils DP-BPSK modulation format for 40G ultra long haul
Nortel has revealed that the record 40G transmission distance touted in the recent announcement of its high-speed networking trial with Telstra derived from a prototype application of dual-polarization binary phase-shift keying (DP-BPSK) with coherent detection. The company plans to make the technology available commercially in the first quarter of next year for applications requiring reaches on the order of 4,000 km or greater. Like the DP quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) with coherent detection that Nortel already has on the market for 40 Gbps and plans to have commercially available for 100 Gbps by the end of this year, the new modulation format transmits signals in phase rather than amplitude. Combined with dual polarization, standard DP-BPSK would result in a transmission rate of 23 Gbaud, according to John Sitch, Nortel senior advisor, optical systems, and Helen Xenos, optical solutions marketing manager. However, as is the case with Nortel's current 100G approach, the prototype line cards combine the modulation format with optical frequency-division multiplexing, splitting the 40-Gbps transmission into two subcarriers that fit within a 50-GHz window. This results in a transmission rate of 11.5 Gbaud.
Visit www.nortel.com.



PRG Group, Inc. increases managed services and IT consulting services
PRG Group, Inc. is pleased to announce that the Company is expanding its managed services platform that is currently supporting Avaya IP products to include all Nortel enterprise systems. This will enable all Nortel dealers and distributors to offer their customers with an outsourced technical support solution and service platform that will provide on-going support and service as well as an easy migration path to IP systems and networks. PRG Group continues to build upon the Company's core competency in consulting and professional services by expanding its outsourced technical support organization by adding certified Nortel technical staff and by delivering other value added support services that assist Nortel's dealer and distributor business model. Specifically, PRG managed services offers partners with the following technical support: remote monitoring and diagnostics; adds, moves and changes; software reconfiguration; engineering; software patches; and service reports. All PRG Group technical staff are certified in Avaya, Nortel, Microsoft, Cisco and other industry platforms and standards.
Visit www.prg-group.com.
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Power

New models with “green” features added to Minuteman EnSpire series UPSs
Para Systems, Inc. announced the availability of two new additions to their successful Minuteman EnSpire series of uninterruptible power supplies.  The EN750 and EN900 provide new "green" features and are ideal for home office and small to medium-sized businesses that are seeking value-priced power protection for their mission-critical devices. When the internal battery is fully charged, the charger goes into "rest mode," thus saving energy. Additionally, the units are designed to operate at over 90% efficiency while in AC Normal mode. When the "Green Mode" LCD is illuminated, the user will know the UPS is operating in its maximum efficiency and energy-saving mode.  Along with higher capacity capabilities and more battery power, the two new micro-processor-based models have an LCD display that informs the user of various power conditions, including input voltage, battery runtime, connected load consumption and other operating information.
Visit www.minutemanups.com/enspire.
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Toshiba

Toshiba’s Strata CIX1200 delivers ultra-reliability and cost savings to Westminster College
Toshiba’s Strata CIX1200 VoIP business telephone system with Stratagy voice processing is projected to save Westminster College of Fulton, Mo. more than $170,000 over seven years.  Founded in 1851, Westminster College is a private college focused on liberal arts that is home to nearly 1,000 students. Installed by CTI, the system supports more than 1,000 ports spread across 28 buildings on campus.  In addition, there are 10 remote or mobile users off campus. The system has a mix of Toshiba IP, digital and analog desk telephones, as well as Toshiba SoftIPT softphones for mobile and remote workers.  Toshiba attendant consoles are used for operator stations. The college chose Toshiba’s seven-year manufacturer’s warranty and bundled it with the lease and a SIP Trunk long distance agreement from Twist Networks Inc. of St. Louis, a Toshiba-certified SIP trunk provider.  Bundling their lease, warranty and service agreements together allows the college to pay one monthly bill for the anticipated seven-year life of the system.
Visit www.telecom.toshiba.com.
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