Telecom Customers To Receive Cutting-Edge Services

TELECOM CUSTOMERS TO RECEIVE CUTTING-EDGE SERVICES THROUGH NEW NETWORK MANAGEMENT DEAL WITH ALCATEL

Telecom and Alcatel today signed a five year agreement, with an estimated value of NZ$120m, which sees Alcatel taking increased responsibility for the management of Telecom’s network planning, development and operations services in New Zealand.

Telecom and Alcatel have a strategic partnering relationship to jointly manage the development and integration of Telecom's trans-Tasman Next Generation Network (NGN).

Today’s agreement covers Telecom’s network in New Zealand.

Telecom’s New Zealand General Manager Network Delivery, Steve Fuller, said that the deal follows many months of discussion. “The Next Generation Network and the new services it will enable, are a huge deal for our customers and having on board a global leader in NGN technologies, Alcatel will help ensure customer expectations are met,” Mr Fuller said.

Telecom is working closely with Alcatel, a worldwide leader in outsourcing for telecommunications, to deliver cutting-edge customer services for the future.

“The NGN will mean faster and easier customer access to many more cutting edge products and services. On the new Internet Protocol (IP) network, we ’ll be able to combine voice and data on the same line, deliver multiple services easily and provide new services faster and more cost-effectively. Today’s agreement will help ensure all these customer benefits for the future,” said Mr Fuller.

The agreement involves the transfer of almost 200 Telecom New Zealand staff to Alcatel New Zealand from 1 July 2003.

“This new working model means excellent opportunities for Telecom’s network planning, development and operations teams who are now transferring to Alcatel,” Mr Fuller said. “The new structure will give them exposure to Alcatel’s technologies, global training opportunities and increased possibilities for career development.”

Alcatel New Zealand Managing Director Mark Giles said, “This deal and its scale is unique in Australasia. The new team, with the benefit of Alcatel’ s global business resources, will be involved in designing, operating and supporting Telecom’s current and new network. This is a significant milestone in the telecommunications world.”

ENDS