Alcatel and Sun to Jointly Market Intelligent Network
Systems; Telecommunication Service Providers Can Offer
Comprehensive Enhanced Voice and Data Applications
DALLAS, TEXAS--MARCH 19, 2002 - 15:05 EST
Industry leaders Alcatel and Sun Microsystems
announced a Joint Marketing Agreement (JMA) to promote
carrier-class, open- architecture voice and data Intelligent
Networking (IN) solutions for telecommunication service providers
in the U.S. market.
With this agreement, Alcatel (NYSE: ALA) and Sun Microsystems
(NSDQ: SUNW) technology will help service providers meet growing
demand for enhanced services for voice and packetized data
networks.
The agreement entails both companies developing new marketing
programs to promote the strengths of the Alcatel/Sun enhanced
services package. This enhanced relationship builds on voice
applications and services developed by Alcatel on Sun equipment
and already in use by several major wireless and wireline
carriers. Examples of these traditional services include virtual
private networks, enhanced toll-free calling, and prepaid calling.
As these carriers migrate to their respective next generation
networks, Alcatel will be able to deliver new multimedia and
location-based services that will generate additional revenue
streams for the carriers. As a first step, Alcatel has recently
announced that its new Media Server product, which is based on its
Open Systems Platform, is now available for carriers that are
migrating to packet networks.
"Alcatel was one of the first vendors to realize the potential of
open-architecture Intelligent Network systems," said Pat Deagman,
vice president of NEP Group, Sun Microsystems. "As an early
adopter of Sun Microsystems' platforms for enhanced service
development, Alcatel's proven experience in this area enables them
to more quickly adapt voice services to the packet environment,
thereby providing customers a better business model for the
rollout of competitive enhanced services."
"Our respective customers have a common need for reliable,
open-architecture IN solutions designed for multi-vendor,
multi-protocol networks that offer converged voice and data
services on a single system," said Mark Peterson, vice president,
product marketing and management, Alcatel. "This well-defined
agreement meets that need with outstanding products from worldwide
industry leaders."
About Alcatel
Alcatel designs, develops and builds innovative and competitive
communications networks, enabling carriers, service providers and
enterprises to deliver any type of content, such as voice, data
and multimedia, to any type of consumer, anywhere in the world.
Relying on its leading and comprehensive products and solutions
portfolio, stretching from end-to-end optical infrastructures,
fixed and mobile networks to broadband access, Alcatel's customers
can focus on optimizing their service offerings and revenue
streams. With sales of Euro 25 billion in 2001 and 99,000
employees, Alcatel operates in more than 130 countries. For more
information, www.alcatel.com
About Sun Microsystems, Inc
Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision -- The Network Is
The Computer -- has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc. (Nasdaq:
SUNW) to its position as a leading provider of industrial-strength
hardware, software and services that power the Internet and allow
companies worldwide to take their businesses to the nth. Sun can
be found in more than 170 countries and on the World Wide Web at
sun.com. |
