LUCENT TECHNOLOGIES: Compaq & Lucent Technologies team to
accelerate unified messaging
Story Filed: Thursday, April 15, 1999 3:33 PM EST
APR 15, 1999, M2 Communications - To accelerate the adoption of unified messaging, Compaq
Computer Corporation and Lucent Technologies today announced a business and technical alliance
that will make it easy for users to take advantage of unified messaging capabilities. Enterprise and
service provider customers will benefit from more efficient integration of voice and data messaging
solutions and faster deployments using an open, industry-standard solution.
As part of the alliance, Lucent, the global leader in unified messaging, will integrate and sell its Octel
Unified Messenger for Microsoft Exchange Server on Compaq ProLiant and Compaq AlphaServer
platforms. In addition, Compaq, the recognized leader in collaboration and messaging solutions,
plans to resell Octel Unified Messenger.
Lucent also will acquire technology from Compaq to provide future enhancements to Octel Unified
Messenger, and Compaq will provide engineering support to help develop those enhancements.
Unified messaging is a rapidly growing market. In fact, the PELORUS Group forecasts that unified
messaging for businesses worldwide will be worth nearly $1 billion in 2002. "Compaq's strategy is
to help move our customers to the more powerful, cost-effective next generation networks of
tomorrow, which allow convergent applications like unified messaging to be deployed," said John T.
Rose, senior vice president and group general manager, Enterprise Computing Group, Compaq
Computer Corporation. "Combining Compaq's world-class servers, communications solutions and
global services with Lucent's leadership in unified messaging will help to make it easier and faster for
customers to take advantage of this exciting, new messaging convergence."
"Unified messaging is an emerging, revolutionary market, bridging the worlds of telecom and
information technologies," said Bill O'Shea, group president of Lucent's Business Communications
Systems unit. "Organizations around the globe want unified messaging capabilities today. By forming
this alliance, Lucent and Compaq will offer them a comprehensive package of hardware, software
and services that's easy to deploy and that we'll support globally."
Proven Unified Messaging Technology
Delivering on the convergence of voice and data, Octel Unified Messenger integrates with both
telephony and IP networks to allow users to create, access and manage all of their voice, e-mail and
fax messages from a personal computer or telephone, anywhere, at anytime. For example, mobile
professionals can listen and respond to e-mail using their mobile phone, making their time away from
the office more productive.
Built on Microsoft Windows NT Server and Microsoft Exchange, and shipping since November,
1997, Octet Unified Messenger combines all voice, fax and e-mail messages into a single mailbox
and uses a common directory.
According to a recent end-user study by The Radicati Group, Inc., a leading independent consulting
and market research firm based in Palo Alto, Calif., Lucent's Octet Unified Messenger has saved
companies 70 percent in messaging-related IT support and administrative costs.
Compaq is the number one systems integrator of Microsoft Exchange, and 60 percent of Microsoft
Exchange solutions run on Compaq servers.
"The Compaq and Lucent alliance enables new customers and the installed base of 25 million
Microsoft Exchange users to further increase the ROI for their messaging infrastructure," said Steve
Ballmer, president, Microsoft Corporation. "These businesses can now look to Lucent and
Compaq, leaders in their respective markets, for enhanced messaging solutions that combine voice
and data."
In support of this alliance, Compaq Services will create a portfolio of support services for Octet
Unified Messenger-based solutions. The companies will work together to port Octet Unified
Messenger to a Network Equipment Building Standards (NEBS)-compliant Compaq AlphaServer
system. The companies also will engage in joint sales and marketing activities to help customers and
channel partners simplify planning, deployment, and operation of Octet Unified Messenger on
Compaq platforms.
About Compaq
Compaq Computer Corporation, a Fortune Global 100 company, is the second largest computer
company in the world and the largest global supplier of computer systems. Compaq develops and
markets hardware, software, solutions, and services, including industry-leading enterprise computing
solutions, fault-tolerant business-critical solutions, enterprise and network storage solutions,
commercial desktop and portable products and consumer PCs. The company is an industry leader in
environmentally friendly programs and business practices. Compaq products are sold and supported
in more than 100 countries through a network of authorized Compaq marketing partners. Customer
support and information about Compaq and its products are available at compaq.com.
About Lucent
Lucent Technologies, headquartered in Murray Hill, NJ, designs, builds and delivers a wide range of
public and private networks, communications systems and software, data networking systems,
business telephone systems and microelectronic components. Bell Laboratories is the research and
development arm for the company. For more information on Lucent Technologies, visit its Web site
at lucent.com. |
