Alcatel-Lucent has won a contract with Etisalat to deploy IP-based telephony systems throughout its offices in the UAE. The project will be carried on through Alcatel-Lucent’s premium business partner in the UAE, Al-Futtaim Technologies.
Under the terms, a secure, integrated communications platform will be installed throughout Etisalat’s offices, including voice communications, VoIP, LAN and VPN systems. The new platform is based on Alcatel-Lucent OmniPCX Enterprise IP telephony platform and My Instant Communicator Unified Communications system.
Essa Al Haddad, chief marketing officer for Etisalat UAE, said: “Our objective is to provide a unified communications software suite that would offer a state-of-the-art integrated user experience across all communication mediums and devices to our employees in order to enable optimal collaboration across our organisation.
The new offering will support 10,000 IP users in a VoIP deployment over eight main sites, with 3,500 My Instant Communicator users to enable optimal collaboration with full integration of existing business applications including support for IBM Lotus Sametime 7.5 environment, accessible from any computer, IP phone or personal digital assistant (PDA). It also comprises integration with the operator’s network management platform, contact centre and a total of 3,500 fax-server users.
Venkat Raghavan, general manager of Al-Futtaim Technologies, said: “Etisalat chose Alcatel-Lucent’s IP solution to boost the efficiency of its employees, be more competitive and generate new business, hence increase productivity, improve customer relations, and reduce costs. As one of the most forward-thinking telecom operators, Etisalat has found the benefits of an IP communications deployment extend far beyond cost savings.”
