Avaya marks first anniversary with $500 000 data networking deal with Dutch ASP, CyberRoute

Marking its first year as an independent company, Avaya a global leader in corporate networking solutions and services, today announced a $500 000 contract to build a data infrastructure for CyberRoute, a leading Dutch Application Service Provider (ASP).

The infrastructure will enable CyberRoute to become the first ASP in the Netherlands to provide a hosted version of Microsoft Office XP to businesses.

Avaya will provide its Cajun P580 MultiService Switch and its Cajun P330 Stackable Switching System as well as tailor the configuration based on Microsoft`s specific requirements.

"In working with Avaya, we are assured that the network we are building is highly reliable and will allow us to provide our enterprise customers with a series of high-value productivity applications on a rental basis over the Internet," said Dr Bahman Zolfagharpour, chairman and CEO of CyberRoute. "A common saying around here is, not everyone can afford to own a limousine, but almost everyone can afford to rent one. The saying highlights that for some companies, it makes far more sense to rent applications than buy them. Our Avaya data network will help us better serve those companies and as our applications portfolio and our client list grows, we look forward to working with Avaya to further expand our data network."

CyberRoute offers a wide range of hosted solutions and applications which also include messaging and collaboration services; customer relationship management (CRM) applications; salary administration; automotive dealer management and e-business portal services. The company has a joint venture with RDC Datacentrum, targeting the automotive industries that cover over 80 000 users.

By renting applications from CyberRoute, companies can avoid paying licence fees for all-in software packages by only leasing software when it is needed. As CyberRoute takes care of all the application hosting, companies can also save on expensive investments in hardware and can better deploy their IT personnel, rather than having them simply focus on system maintenance. Because of this, CyberRoute`s ASP solution can reduce a company`s IT total cost of ownership by as much as 30% to 60%.

"The ASP market across Europe is one in a state of flux and the ASPs that will ultimately survive are the ones that can offer a diverse and sophisticated set of business applications," said Paul Kievit, Avaya`s managing director for The Netherlands. "CyberRoute is raising the bar for ASPs across the Netherlands, and indeed across Europe, by developing an infrastructure robust enough to provide Microsoft Office XP to business end-users via the Internet."

This contract came about through Avaya`s recently announced strategic relationship with IBM and highlights Avaya`s continued commitment to helping ASPs build their offerings and their markets across Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

As CyberRoute`s integrator of choice, IBM will work with Avaya and Microsoft to service the solution. As part of the broader Avaya/IBM strategic relationship (see Avaya news release of 5 September 2001), IBM Global Services will provide consulting and implementation services to help customers deploy various Avaya products such as unified communication solutions, customer relationship management infrastructure and applications for customer contact centres, as well as Web-based e-commerce applications.

On 2 October last year, Avaya rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange and began trading separately from its former parent company, Lucent Technologies.