PM Opens CLEAR Internet Protocol Telephony Centre

Prime Minister Opens CLEAR’s State Of The Art Internet Protocol Telephony Centre
CLEAR business customers first to enjoy end-to-end Internet Protocol solutions

Auckland, 10 August 2001 - Prime Minister Helen Clark today opened CLEAR Communications’ first Internet Protocol (IP) telephony interactive centre at the company’s Auckland headquarters, as part of the launch of the new Smales Farm Technology Office Park. The interactive centre provides an office environment for CLEAR’s business customers to get hands-on experience of CLEAR’s new IP telephony network services and associated applications.

CLEAR has taken the lead in bringing IP solutions to the NZ market. In June, it became the first telecommunications service provider in Asia-Pacific to be certified by Cisco Systems to supply specialist IP telephony services. IP solutions deliver voice, data and other communications over one large pipe rather then than needing separate networks.

Peter Kaliaropoulos, CLEAR’s Chief Executive, says that the new IP telephony service demonstrates the company’s strong commitment to innovation and product investment.

“The rollout of IP services is a key part of CLEAR’s business market strategy. The industry-recognised certification granted by Cisco has reinforced our expertise in designing, implementing and optimising IP telephony solutions. We can now give business customers more tools to improve their productivity, efficiency and competitiveness in the marketplace,” says Mr Kaliaropoulos.

As the only Cisco IP certified telecommunications company in Asia-Pacific, CLEAR has stolen a march on its competitors. No other company in New Zealand is able to offer the end-to-end IP telephony solutions that CLEAR’s customers enjoy.

Cisco’s Country Manager Tim Hemingway says Cisco is pleased that CLEAR is the first telecommunications service provider in New Zealand to be certified in IP telephony. “New Zealanders have shown that they are ready for this technology ahead of the rest of the world, and CLEAR is poised to take advantage of that,” says Mr Hemingway.

A second interaction centre will be opened in Wellington in September. Visitors to the centres will be able to experience a range of IP telephony services, by simply making a phone call to applications that run over the converged environment, such as unified messaging.

CLEAR and Cisco, together with Logical Networks, last year delivered the world’s largest commercial IP telephony network for the Ministry of Social Policy.

Mr Kaliaropoulos says that CLEAR’s IP expertise gives it the leading edge over its competitors.

“Our position at the forefront of the development of IP solutions in NZ reinforces CLEAR’s image as the undisputed, best alternative, business information company in the country, offering real choice and dominating the voice, data and e-business solutions market for business customers.”

ENDS

About CLEAR IP Solutions Capability

Internet Protocol IP is the leading way to transport all communications today. Businesses are now exploring the benefits of converging their data, voice and video onto IP. Also seeking to take advantage of this transport medium are applications vendors – this has seen the emergence of more and more IP based business application solutions. This momentum continues to increase as businesses identify more needs and productivity, costs and customer service benefits. CLEAR has become a market leader through early adoption and delivery of IP Solutions for the NZ marketplace. This has been achieved through significant investment in people development, combined with formation of strategic alliances with companies such as Cisco and Compaq.

About CLEAR:
CLEAR is the leading alternative information communications supplier in New Zealand and the country's second-largest Internet Service Provider. The rollout of broadband, e-business, wireless access, mobile services, convergent solutions and Internet solutions is CLEAR's focus. CLEAR provides competitive services to nearly half a million New Zealand customers, and has invested over three quarters of a billion dollars in rolling out advanced networks, including broadband and business access for small and medium businesses in over 30 CBD, provincial, and regional New Zealand centres.

For more information, please visit our website at http://www.clear.co.nz/

© Scoop Media