Avaya online forum helps businesses reduce risk, increase security of enterprise communications

Avaya Inc, a leading provider of communications networks and services for businesses, today announced the launch of a new online forum to help organisations develop strategies for lowering business risk in a rapidly changing global environment.

Entitled "Reach > Lower Risk," this is the second in a series of Avaya online forums designed to help businesses reduce costs, increase security and grow revenues through communications.

The new forum, now available online at www.businessrealities.com/lower_risk, features insights and perspective from Avaya executives and industry analyst Nick Lippis, as well as customer case studies from leading global organisations. Enterprise security news and research is provided by InformationWeek magazine. A related live, online chat on business risk-reduction strategies will be held at 11am EDT on Wednesday, 16 July, allowing participants to ask questions of Avaya business leaders and other industry experts.

The forum is designed to help companies detect rising information security threats and learn how they can reduce risk with Avaya Communications Continuity Solutions. These solutions leverage Avaya`s applications, systems and services to help companies increase the security and continuity of converged communications networks.

"To maximise risk reduction, companies should select infrastructure solutions with built-in security and business continuity features," said Nick Lippis, president of Lippis Consulting. "They also need to acknowledge that reducing risk involves not only technology, but also people, processes and policies."

In a recent survey of CFOs and other finance executives, Forrester Research found that approximately eight out of 10 were concerned with the security of their systems, and well over half planned to buy disaster recovery products and services this year. (1) During the forum, several Avaya customers - including American Truck Business Services, Beijing University and FIFA World Cup - share their experiences in using communications technology and services to lower risk to their business.

Another is the Donna Karan Company, one of the world`s leading fashion design houses, which relies on an Avaya Virtual Private Network (VPN) solution to route critical business information securely and reliably among eight locations in North America, Europe and Asia. In addition to protecting sensitive business information, the new VPN saves the company an estimated $250 000 a year in toll costs by routing calls over its own private network.

"Fast, dependable communications is definitely fundamental to our business," said Ken Meisch, technical support manager at The Donna Karan Company. "The information we need to stay competitive flows across our network. As long as we continue to move our critical business information around the globe quickly and reliably - without risking privacy, security and confidentiality - we`re ahead of the game."

Future interactive online forums include a September session on growing revenue. To register to participate in an Avaya online forum and chat session, visit www.businessrealities.com/lower_risk.

(1) Sources: Business Technographics, Forrester Research, February 2003. CIOs Alone Can`t Measure IT Investments` Impact, Bobby Cameron, Forrester Research, May 2003.