To Provide Enhanced Services Systems For Telephone Company Of Central
Florida
The Telephone Company of Central Florida, Inc. (TCCF), a provider of competitive local exchange,
long-distance, and enhanced communications throughout the southeast, has awarded Nortel (Northern
Telecom) a three-year, $US 30 million contract for the purchase of Nortel's international/tandem switching
systems equipped with enhanced services functionality. The combined Nortel switching, programmable
services creation, and support services solution is designed to enable TCCF to rapidly develop, trial, and
deploy customized, enhanced services to its expanding customer base.
Under terms of the agreement, Nortel will supply TCCF with its DMS-250 SuperNode tandem and
DMS-300/250 international gateway/tandem switching systems, as well as its Total Network Solutions
(TNS) professional support services, to meet TCCF's network expansion program needs. All of the DMS
switching systems will be configured with DMS-PSA (Programmable Services Architecture), comprising
enhanced switch software and services platforms. This agreement marks Nortel's first commercial
deployment of its DMS-PSA capability on the DMS-300/250 switching platform.
''We're changing the playing field stakes when it comes to delivering enhanced services for our
international and U.S. customers,'' said Elder (Kip) Ripper, president and chief executive officer of TCCF.
''We chose Nortel to provide the infrastructure for our expanding network because they offer one of the
most extensive service creation platforms on the market today, coupled with tremendous experience and
support capability. We'll be delivering our services on public network-grade platforms, not PC-based as
are the majority today. As a result, we'll deliver improved grade-of-service levels, public network reliability,
and will be able to more easily scale for growth over competing approaches on the market today.''
TCCF plans to initially deploy the switching systems in its Miami site, with additional switches slated for
installation in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Houston by the end of 1998. TCCF will initially offer
enhanced and international callback calling card services to its U.S. customers as well as to foreign public
telephone and telegraph (PTT) carriers.
Nortel's DMS-300/250 provides North American public network carriers combined international gateway
and tandem long-distance functionality in a single, integrated platform. The system supports all key
national and international signaling interfaces, including PRI, MF/DTMF, ANSI7, CCITT7, and others. The
DMS-250 SuperNode can be partitioned for multi-customer, multi-function applications, such as N00,
Private Virtual Networking, and Dialable Wideband Services, while supporting specialized carrier options
and operator features.
Nortel's Programmable Services Architecture advances IN (Intelligent Networks) development through
integration of off-board call processing and control with modular 'building block' intelligent service
processing platforms. Comprising DMS-PSN (Programmable Services Node) software, ServiceLink
Application Protocol Interface, and optional ServiceLink Service Control Unit and ServiceLink Media
Resource Unit platforms, the DMS-PSA enables the creation of enhanced, revenue-generating IN service
applications, such as pre-paid/debit card, voice-activated and display-based services, international
callback, Personal Number Service, and enhanced voice mail.
Nortel's Total Network Solutions (TNS) comprises an extensive portfolio of professional services designed
to complement a customer's invested resources and experience. Services offered to Nortel customers via
the TNS portfolio include business analysis and planning; network architecture and systems design;
services marketing; testing and verification of network operations; maintenance services; and disaster
recovery. Included in the TCCF agreement are Nortel's post-cutover network integration, on-site
maintenance, around-the-clock remote system monitoring/surveillance, and disaster recovery services. |
