Nortel Cable VoIP Solution Enables Videotron to Deliver New Videocalling Service
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NEW SOFT PHONE SERVICES ALLOW USERS UNPARALLELED COMMUNICATIONS FLEXIBILITY
OCTOBER 25, 2007
TORONTO - Nortel* [NYSE/TSX: NT] announces that Videotron, a Quebec communications services operator providing telephony, Internet access, television and wireless services to residential and business customers, is now offering customers the ability to communicate anywhere, over any device with one of the first deployments of a new Soft Phone service that provides videocalling and customizable VoIP call routing functions with a new cable solution.
With its new Soft Phone and Personal Call Manager Services, Videotron is now able to provide customers the capability to make and receive multiple calls from a computer, as well as control and redirect incoming calls. With Personal Call Manager, customers take control of their communications with advanced call routing functions like simultaneously ringing to up to three devices, screening calls based on Caller ID and programmable Do Not Disturb periods. A Nortel product customized to Videotron's requirements, the Soft Phone features videotelephony, that enables users to communicate via a high-quality video link that presents streaming imagery smoothly, without the jerky quality normally associated with Internet video.
"The ability to set up high-quality and reliable videocalling is a powerful new way to communicate that allows people be understood more effectively," said Videotron's Senior Vice President of Engineering, Daniel Proulx. "In addition, being able to centralize communications with the Personal Call Manager is like having your own personal assistant to route your calls to you regardless of which device you are using. This solution allows us to deliver great value to our customers, providing communications of the future to subscribers today."
"As one of the first companies to offer videocalling with assured quality and the unparalleled ability to control how one communicates, Videotron is establishing itself as a pioneer in the communications field. Nortel's solution provides competitive differentiation for Videotron with an array of options for their customers that simplify the complexities of today's communications," said Tom Buttermore, general manager, Cable Solutions, Nortel. "Nortel's cable solutions are designed to be deployed easily, allowing our customers to start offering revenue-generating services quickly. And we back these solutions with a full complement of application and support services from our Global Services portfolio."
In addition to videocalling, Videotron offers customers greater control of their communications. Using the Personal Call Manager, Videotron customers can configure their telephone to meet their communication needs. For example, customers can combine their cell phone, home number, and work phone into a one-number service allowing them to choose when and where calls are received. Also, people can simultaneously direct calls to the device of their choice, be it a Soft Phone, mobile phone, business phone, home phone or voicemail. The service can also be accessed from any device connected to the Internet, offering the customer the ability to initiate calls from anywhere in the world.
Videotron is able to ensure the quality of video and VoIP through implementation of very strong Quality of Service (QoS) capabilities that preserve the integrity of the data stream. Defined by a standard known as PacketCable MultiMedia (PCMM), the QoS protocol is designed specifically to enable cable companies to offer a higher quality multimedia service over their networks. While ordinary traffic traverses the Internet in a best-effort fashion, Nortel and Camiant**, the industry leading policy-control solution provider, have teamed up to ensure that Videotron's videocalling traffic is guaranteed the bandwidth to provide a high quality customer experience.
The solution is based on Nortel's leading Communications Server 2000, a carrier-class IP Multimedia softswitch with Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) capabilities that enable fixed mobile convergence (FMC), advanced web services and Unified Communications (UC). According to Dell' Oro Group, Nortel is the worldwide leader in Carrier VoIP and has been for five years running (2002-2006).The Soft Phone is using the Multimedia PC Client a fully customizable SIP-based software solution.
Nortel also provided engineering, installation, project management and application services from the Nortel Global Services portfolio. This included customization of the Soft Phone client and Personal Call Manager with Videotron's branding, preferred 'look and feel,' and select functionality best suited to the Company's target audience. In addition, Nortel is providing on-going network maintenance services.
Nortel Cable Solutions deliver the infrastructure required for Multi Service Operators to support next-generation services quickly and simply.
About Videotron
Videotron Ltd. (videotron.com**), a wholly owned subsidiary of Quebecor Media Inc., is an integrated communications company engaged in cable television, interactive multimedia development, Internet access services, cable telephony and wireless telephone service. Videotron is a leader in new technologies with its illico interactive television system and its broadband network, which supports high-speed cable Internet access, analog and digital cable television, and other services. As of September 24, 2007, Videotron was serving 1,614,000 cable television customers in Qubec, including 717,000 illico subscribers. Videotron is the Qubec leader in high-speed Internet access, with 896,000 subscribers to its cable modem service as of September 24, 2007. As of that date, Videotron had activated 38,000 phones on its wireless telephone service and was providing cable telephone service to more than 570,000 Qubec households and organizations.
About Nortel
Nortel is a recognized leader in delivering communications capabilities that make the promise of Business Made Simple a reality for our customers. Our next-generation technologies, for both service provider and enterprise networks, support multimedia and business-critical applications. Nortel's technologies are designed to help eliminate today's barriers to efficiency, speed and performance by simplifying networks and connecting people to the information they need, when they need it. Nortel does business in more than 150 countries around the world. For more information, visit Nortel on the Web at www.nortel.com. For the latest Nortel news, visit nortel.com/news.
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