E-commerce minister opens Avaya`s first pan-EMEA Business Convergence Centre

Douglas Alexander, UK e-commerce minister, today opened the first pan-EMEA `Business Convergence Centre` for Avaya Inc, a leading global provider of voice and data networks to businesses and government.

As part of the company`s recently-opened lb20 million UK and Ireland headquarters in Guildford, Surrey, the centre gives the opportunity for both small and large organisations to understand how they can benefit from business convergence which is critical to successful customer relationship management (CRM).

Avaya believes that business convergence marks the coming together - on and offline - of all business channels with the customer. Whether the customer interacts in person, online via a personal digital assistant (PDA), laptop or phone - business convergence is the principle of a single line of communication supported by a `customer culture` (ie flexibility to communicate with and service the customer when and how they want - as their needs evolve).

The new centre aims to further understanding of how organisations can develop business convergence to improve customer relationships, reduce costs and gain competitive advantage. Also, the centre showcases Avaya`s current and future converged voice and data products and services. For example, the centre shows a multimedia contact centre which routes and records communications activities across Web, voice, e-mail and fax, and presents a single, integrated view of all customer contact irrespective of the communications channels used.

At the event, the minister was briefed on how Avaya is breaking new ground in converged communications by building one of the world`s largest converged voice and data networks for the 2002 FIFA World Cup held in May and June this year in Korea and Japan.

Alexander, MP for Paisley South, said: "The benefits of broadband for the UK are there for the taking - faster communication with customers, more innovative trading and the ability to reduce costs. These are vital business drivers to ensure competitiveness. Avaya`s Business Convergence Centre is an example of how businesses can exploit these benefits now - from the use of high-speed, broadband access to the introduction of remote working for a more flexible and customer-responsive workforce."

"The Business Convergence Centre is a showcase that demonstrates how businesses may gain competitive advantage by exploiting emerging technologies across a broadband infrastructure. For example, multimedia contact centres, and personal digital assistants used as mobile phones are allowing people and businesses to use a single, converged communication channel," said John Winchester, vice-president and general manager of Avaya for UK and Ireland.

Avaya`s customers and business partners are able to visit the centre, understand the company`s view of how organisations can benefit from business convergence and see demonstrations of current and future converged voice and data technologies. Across the world, the company has over 21 000 employees including over 3 100 people in its Avaya Labs (formerly part of Bell Labs) to research and develop these new products and services which to date have resulted in the creation of over 1 500 patents.

Demonstrations at the centre include:

• .         Wireless and voice over Internet Protocol Technology - wireless network technology allowing the use of laptop computers to be connected to the network without wires and has VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) capability for voice calls. The calls run over a single, converged voice and data network, thereby reducing the cost of calls. Typically, a company could expect to save up to 50% on their network and call charges plus a further reduction on network management costs.

• .         2002 FIFA World Cup Converged Voice and Data Network - Avaya is providing one of the world`s largest converged networks combining voice and data on the same infrastructure, for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. The FIFA World Cup network will connect:

• .         20 stadium sites in two countries;

• .         FIFA management offices and the organising committee offices in Korea and Japan;

• .         Accreditation centres for the more than 40 000 volunteers and reporters who will need special credentials; and

• .         International Media and Broadcasting Centres in Seoul, Korea, and Yokohama, Japan - the nerve centres for coverage of the matches by more than 15 000 reporters.

• .         Multimedia Contact Centre - showing how enquiries can be received via phone, e-mail and fax at its UK and Ireland headquarters. Contact centre agents are presented with a single, integrated view of all customer contact irrespective of the communications channels used, whether that is post, telephone, e-mail, web-chat or `call-me` technologies. The demonstration shows intelligent routing software distributing calls efficiently to the appropriate person or department.

• .         Using a PDA as a phone - An employee at an organisation using a PDA as a phone across a wireless network. This allows an employee to use one wireless communication device anywhere across the organisation`s sites for voice and data applications. Also, the technology utilises VOIP to reduce the cost of the phone calls.

By September 2001, Avaya relocated its new UK and Ireland headquarters to Guildford - a sophisticated and `intelligent` showcase for communications technologies. The company equipped a state-of-the-art facility making extensive use of its own communications products and services. The facility comprises two linked buildings covering an area of 120 000 square metres to provide a good working environment for its employees.

The new offices, located on Cathedral Hill, have been fitted with 438 miles of Avaya`s SYSTIMAX cabling - exceeding the length of the M1 motorway - to allow for high-speed broadband communications.

Avaya has given much thought to providing a positive working environment for its employees. The Campus is designed to give maximum exposure to natural daylight. Inside the open-plan offices, Avaya has provided a cashless canteen, serving breakfast right through to dinner, a dry-cleaners, a kiosk selling greeting cards to gifts, and an ATM machine, to help accommodate the needs of its employees.

In moving its UK headquarters to Guildford, Avaya relocated 600 staff from offices in Fleet, Farnborough, Winchester, Ascot, Bracknell and Gerrards Cross. Also, Avaya has taken steps to be environmentally-friendly - such as running a car-sharing scheme and a bus service, to limit the impact of traffic congestion on the local roads and promote flexible working.