For Immediate Release: 19-Jul-2000
Philadelphia, Pa., USAvaya today announced a strategic supplier agreement with Bell
Atlantic, which has merged with GTE to form Verizon Communications,
Inc. Under the agreement, Avaya will provide communications
equipment and services to Bell Atlantic for the 2000 Republican
National Convention, which will be held July 31-August 4 at
Philadelphia's First Union Center. Bell Atlantic is the official local telecommunications provider
for the Republican National Convention. Avaya is the former
Enterprise Networks Group of Lucent Technologies (NYSE:LU),
scheduled to be spun off on September 30. As part of the agreement, Avaya is providing DEFINITY®
Enterprise Communications Servers (ECS) at three locations: the
headquarters of the Committee on Arrangements, the First Union
Center, and one of the main convention hotels. The communications
servers provide convention staff, nominees and delegates with more
than 1000 dedicated, fully-featured connections to the custom
network built for the convention by Bell Atlantic. Avaya's INTUITY¢
AUDIX® messaging system, linked to the DEFINITY distributed
communications system, will provide networked voice mail for
convention staff and party members. Additionally, Avaya's MERLIN MAGIX¢ Integrated Systems and
PARTNER® Advanced Communications Systems are available to news
organizations covering the convention through Bell Atlantic's
Telecommunications Products and Services handbook. Avaya's
authorized Business Partner, Expanets, is fulfilling the MERLIN
MAGIX and PARTNER systems orders under a separate contract. Avaya will provide on-site, around-the-clock technical support
and training to users of its systems during the week of the
convention. The technical support center, located in the Bell
Atlantic facilities trailer in the First Union Center parking lot,
also will have extra phones and small business systems available
for last-minute communications needs. Avaya, formerly the Enterprise Networks Group of Lucent
Technologies, headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., USA, is a
leading provider of communications systems for enterprises,
including businesses, government agencies and other organizations.
Avaya offers voice, converged voice and data, customer relationship
management, messaging, multi-service networking and structured
cabling products and services. Avaya is a worldwide leader in sales
of messaging and structured cabling systems and a U.S. leader in
sales of enterprise voice communications and call center systems.
Avaya intends to use its leadership positions in enterprise
communications systems and software, its broad portfolio of
products and services, and strategic alliances with other
technology and consulting services leaders to offer its customers
comprehensive eBusiness solutions. For more information about
Avaya, visit its Web site at www.avaya.com. | 
