Microsoft/Nortel alliance finds a UC customer in Germany

The Nortel and Microsoft Innovative Communications Alliance (ICA) has a new public customer today — arvato systems — one of the first ICA customers in Germany. arvato systems provides clients with IT services supporting the the use, management, and distribution of media (such consulting, concept design, development, implementation, and operation). This is a natural extension of their parent company, global media and communication services provider arvato AG.

Their new UC network pulls together voice, email, conferencing, video and instant messaging into a single interface (Microsoft OCS 2007). But it’s the services side of this deployment that makes it an interesting win.

In our UC alliance with Microsoft, Nortel has emphasized the services revenue potential that the relationship brings (as well as the alliance’s ability to generate revenues on related Nortel enterprise solutions). arvato systems is an example of how Nortel services are involved.

Nortel services helped arvato across three areas: planning and consulting, design and integration, and roll-out of the solution.

arvato’s network management teams used an ICA Collaboration Center to collaborate on all business and technical aspects of successfully rolling out their UC network. Next, Nortel’s services group delivered a network and integration plan down to the component level. Nortel then worked with Gold Solution Partner DeTeWe Communications GmbH to provide hardware and consulting services for the roll-out and integration of the solution, including an upgrade and customization of arvato system’s existing Nortel IP-PBX and components of the Microsoft