Sema Group and the new Enterprise Networks Group being spun off from Lucent Technologies announced today a worldwide strategic alliance to supply eBusiness solutions to enterprises in the telecommunications industry, such as service providers and network operators.
The alliance brings together the product portfolios of both companies - supported by Sema Group`s worldwide systems integration capabilities - to create comprehensive solutions for businesses that will include jointly-developed or complementary offerings in the areas of e-commerce, customer relationship management (CRM), integrated messaging, data/voice convergence, one-to-one marketing, network management and customer care and billing. The alliance will focus initially on supporting service providers` back office operations in these areas.
Sema Group will supply its convergent SemaVision Customer Care and Billing applications, its messaging products and its mobile commerce offering, SemaPortal, in addition to its worldwide systems integration capabilities. Lucent`s new Enterprise Networks Group will bring its best-in-class, converged voice and data networking technology - including its market-leading enterprise infrastructure, communications and networking software - as well as its world-renowned systems engineering and technical support capabilities.
The Enterprise Networks Group holds the No. 1 global market position in call centres, voice messaging and unified messaging, and the No. 1 position in the United States in voice systems.
The alliance also will support the Enterprise Network Group`s recently launched eCommunication model. This new model will enable enterprises to quickly migrate their businesses beyond the content- and transaction-based interactions that have defined eBusiness until now, to personalised, relationship-based communication and collaboration that helps link virtual organisations to improve efficiency and build long-term customer loyalty.
To support the specific requirements for education and training, marketing and communications, and to offer development support and delivery, Sema Group and the new Enterprise Networks Group are developing mutual support programs in all of these areas.
In addition, as a part of the alliance agreement, the two companies will build executive briefing centres for CRM at Sema Group`s competency centres in Atlanta, Ga., USA and Naples, Italy.
"This alliance will enable our customers to serve their customers like never before," said Lucio Rispo, sales vice president of Sema Group Telecoms. "In today`s fast moving dot.com marketplace, enterprises require solutions that enable them to exploit the eBusiness market whilst still retaining control of their customer base through a full customer relationship management solution. This alliance allows us to fully meet this need."
"This global strategic relationship will increase both companies` ability to offer more comprehensive and repeatable solutions," said Kevin Cook, vice president, Global Systems Integrators for Lucent`s new Enterprise Networks Group. "It further reinforces the new Enterprise Networks Group`s commitment to forging relationships with systems integrators and business consultants to provide enterprises with fully integrated, open and flexible solutions for personalised eBusiness communications. Our commitment to this alliance includes a dedicated sales and pre-sales organization, as well as robust support and coordination to provide our customers with fast, reliable and open solutions."
Sema Group and Lucent`s Enterprise Network Group account teams will jointly pursue market opportunities with offers that are unique to this alliance. According to the agreement, each company is a preferred non-exclusive provider to the other.
Share
Sema Group
Sema Group, www.semagroup.com, is one of the world`s leading IT and business service companies. The Group`s 1999 turnover was lb1.41 billion, showing a 20 percent increase when compared with the 1998 full results. Turnover has more than doubled over the past five years. The Group has 20,200 solutions consultants currently working across 140 sites worldwide.
Enterprise Networks Group
By the end of September, Lucent Technologies intends to spin off its enterprise communications systems, business cabling and LAN-based data networking businesses, including Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Integrated Messaging and Data/Voice Convergence, into a separate $8 billion company focused on delivering next-generation communications networks for enterprises. The new company will be the worldwide leader in messaging and call centres, the U.S. leader in voice communications systems, and will have the largest sales and services force in the industry.
Lucent Technologies, headquartered in Murray Hill, N.J., USA, designs and delivers the systems, software, silicon and services for next-generation communications networks for service providers and enterprises. Backed by the research and development of Bell Labs, Lucent focuses on high-growth areas such as optical and wireless networks; Internet infrastructure; communications software; communications semiconductors and optoelectronics; Web-based enterprise solutions that link private and public networks; and professional network design and consulting services. For more information on Lucent Technologies, visit its Web site at http://www.lucent.com.