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Award Description
The Frost & Sullivan Award for Product Line Strategy Leadership is presented each year to a company that has demonstrated the most insight into customer needs and product demands. The recipient company should have optimised its product line by leveraging products with the various price, performance and feature points required by the market.
Research Methodology
To select the award recipient, the analyst team tracks all end-user requirements and market dynamics within the industry. This process includes interviews with suppliers, end users and industry experts. The product lines are compared with customer base demands, and the top-ranking supplier is then presented the award.
Measurement Criteria
In addition to the methodology described above, there are additional criteria used to determine the final competitor rankings in this industry. The recipient of this award should have excelled in one or more of the following criteria:
• Introduction of new products, strategically positioned to balance the product line
• Ability to accommodate different market segments, or different markets within an industry by repurposing technology
• Enhancement of product offerings through optimisation of packaging, service, delivery, financing, and/or other value-added services
• Strategic technology or marketing acquisitions or alliances
July 10, 2006, 10:00 (CET)
ntl:Telewest has selected Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERICY) as a technology and services partner to help with developments to its telephone network using VoIP technology. ntl:Telewest is the UK's largest cable operator and a leading UK provider of broadband and communications services.
A 5-year agreement has been signed by the two companies. The initial phase of the agreement is to help build a Residential Voice-over-Broadband service utilising the Ericsson IMS platform which has been installed and is undergoing testing ahead of launch.
Under the agreement, Ericsson will also be involved with upgrading ntl:Telewest voice network from circuit-switched technology to IP using Ericsson's IP-based Telephony Softswitch solution. Planning for the network transformation is currently underway and will involve the migration of circuits across the network from TDM to IP thus utilizing the current IP network more effectively and producing cost savings through out the network.
Jacqueline Hey, managing director for Ericsson in the UK, said: "NTL is already seeing the benefits from its investment in its network. We are delighted to have concluded this agreement which will see Ericsson technology introduced that will provide gains in both network running costs and efficiency."
"Ericsson's advanced IP Softswitch and IMS architecture products will allow NTL to create new IP-based services for its wide range of business and residential customers," Hey added.
Netwise develops and markets software within the growing areas of presence management, team collaboration, integration of mobile phones, IP telephony and multimedia. The company has about 2000 customers in around 20 countries and is a leading supplier in Northern Europe with subsidiaries in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Germany and France.
Ericsson sees a growing market for new advanced enterprise solutions based on IP, mobility and convergence; applications that can unify these domains are crucial for modern companies. It already has a strong offering in this market and sees an opportunity to further strengthen its offering to the enterprise segment with Netwise's competence and solutions.
Netwise has a strong application offering in the contact management area based on presence and availability management, addressing both customer premises equipment and operator enterprise solutions.
Netwise's solutions support a variety of infrastructures - such as PBXs from different vendors - and can be deployed in service providers' mobile Centrex offerings as well as in PBX solutions owned by enterprises themselves. Netwise is highly competent at selling complex communication solutions in multi-vendor IP environments.
Urban Gillström head of Business Unit Enterprise, says: "We see clear opportunities in combining Netwise's cutting-edge IP competence and applications for the enterprise segment with our global presence. Ericsson and Netwise are already partners today and there are advantages to both parties in taking this next step."
Netwise Board Chairman Yngve Andersson says: "Netwise is proud to have received this offer from Ericsson. We see this as a confirmation that, with our highly competent employees, we have succeeded in developing competitive products as well as positioning them in an international market. Through Ericsson, Netwise now has the opportunity to reach the international market even faster."
Ericsson sees Netwise as further strengthening its existing offering and being an important element in its end-user application program as part of its mobile enterprise strategy. The acquisition of Netwise supports Ericsson's portfolio strategy.
The acquisition requires approval from Netwise shareholders; so far Ericsson has approval from the main shareholders, together holding approximately 70 per cent of the share capital and 76 per cent of the voting rights in Netwise. The Netwise board has also resolved unanimously to recommend that the company's shareholders and holders of warrants accept the offer. The acquisition is subject to clearance from the relevant competition and other regulatory authorities.
Once the deal is approved, a project will be established for the integration into Ericsson and a project team will be assigned.
The push e-mail and personal information management service allows Electrolux workforce in Europe to access both personal and corporate e-mail while on the move. The solution enables users to download, read and edit e-mail attachments on their mobile phones and it also gives them access to calendar and contact information in a simple and secure way.
Bertil Norberg, Chief Information Officer, Electrolux says: "E-mail is the most common business application mobile workers use on a daily basis. Our key executives, frequent travellers and other employees who require timely information in their job any time, anywhere, will be able to get it through Ericsson's EMO service. This tool provides our users with the efficiency and productivity they are looking for.
The three year managed services contract makes Ericsson responsible for hosting, integration and day-to-day operations of the service.
Urban Gillström, President Ericsson Enterprise says: "Ericsson is proud to provide Electrolux with this enterprise service that will allow Electrolux employees to have a more flexible work environment. We're also glad to have such an important customer for this significant contract paving the way in this expanding area."
Hosted EMO supports a wide-range of terminals and offers simplicity, openness, security and low total cost of ownership. Installation and maintenance are designed to be as simple and straightforward as possible.
Hosting is a part of Ericsson's managed services offering. The global trend towards managed services is accelerating as customers and vendors work in partnership to reduce costs and bring new services to market as quickly as possible.
Gayna Ambrose of Thales indicated ... The MX-One Telephony Server and Media Gateway Classic is for our Doncaster office. This will support 90 Digital instruments within the Task Management Centre and a further 80 Analogue phones serving other desks, modems and Fax machines. The order also includes a Solidus e-care system for 100 agents, 80 of these agents will be in Doncaster and a further 20 agents (answering different call groups) will be in Waterloo, London. Communications Organiser for all users with advanced call control is also included.
The order encompasses our Waterloo location where an MX-One Telephony Server and Media Gateway Classic will also be installed, this will be networked with the Doncaster location to form a single system. There will be a Solidus OAS server in Waterloo which will be used for IVR messaging. The Contact Centre at Waterloo will have 20 Agents using Digital Phones along with 16 other instruments.
All Contact Centre agents will be voice recorded using a Nice Call Recording System which will enable on demand playback from the desktop.
For more details on Thales solution click here for their recent presentation outlining the solution and business benefits.
Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERICY) is providing integration between its One Phone solution and Microsoft Office Live Communications Server 2005. This will enable users to 'click to dial' from their computer desktops, using any phone connected to the corporate phone system - including mobile phones.
Ericsson One Phone integrates with Microsoft Office Live Communications Server which means that users can make, control and answer calls on any phone connected to the corporate phone system straight from the PC programs such as Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 and Microsoft Office Communicator 2005. The integrated One Phone solution also provides presence awareness, meaning users can see whether people are free before they call them. Other communications tools and capabilities can be integrated, including instant messaging, conferencing, voice-mail and e-mail.
The Ericsson One Phone solution, based on the MX-ONE platform, enables enterprises to mobilize their workforces by making the mobile phone a fully-integrated extension of the corporate communications network. For users on the move the mobile phone acts as an extension from the network providing user-friendly access to all One Phone features via an intuitive graphical interface.
Ericsson's MX-ONE Mobility Gateway enables enterprises with an existing PBX to integrate it with Office Live Communications Server
Zig Serafin, general manager for the Unified Communications Group, Microsoft says: "Enterprise-grade real-time collaboration solutions are playing an increasingly important role in helping information workers stay in touch with critical business contacts and make better decisions, faster. Working with industry leaders, such as Ericsson, to extend and enhance the Office Live Communications Server experience from the desktop is a core element of our vision for unified communications, which aims to unify communications across PCs, phones and mobile devices so people can communicate and collaborate more effectively and efficiently."
Urban Gillström, President of Ericsson Enterprise says: "Integration with Office Live Communications Server is an important step in delivering exciting new unified communications solutions for our One Phone customers. It also provides a platform for greater convergence and application integration in corporate communications, which will deliver feature-rich unified communications and IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS)-based communications in the future."
The offering will be available in the fall 2006 as part of Ericsson One Phone and Mobility Gateway solutions.
Enterprise NWE is extremely proud to announce the finalisation of Ericsson's contract with Global Crossing to provide multi-converged communications solutions as part of its integrated IP-based network and service offerings.
The Ericsson solution will form the foundation of a managed communications service to Global Crossing's enterprise customers including 66,000 users at Network Rail and the Associated Train Operating Companies (ATOC). The contract is for the supply and installation of 139 switches throughout the Railnet environment. When completed, every railway station in the UK and their associated train operating companies will be using Ericsson telephony services.
Global Crossing's UK's Managing Director, Phil Metcalfe, stated that "It is perhaps the most significant contract signed by Global Crossing in the UK over the last two and a half years - opening up competition, which it is hoped will lead to significant additional business being awarded to Ericsson in the months to come."
Jonathan Smith, Vice President, Ericsson Enterprise UK & Ireland said, "This deal is a clear indication of Ericsson's continued commitment to the Enterprise. It marks a strong belief in the market that Ericsson not only has best in class technical solutions but also has a clear strategy and vision to evolve its customers into an all IP world."
Ericsson Enterprise has been awarded a contract by Global Crossing to provide an extensive IP telephony network for the Forestry Commission.
The Ericsson solution will provide cost-effective, seamless communications for voice, intranet, local-area network, wide-area network and public network traffic using IP-based communications. Ericsson will be responsible for technical collaboration, design, project management and the integration of its MD110 Converged Communication System, and managed services.
When fully deployed the MD110 Converged Communication Systems installed within the Forestry Commission will integrate fixed and mobile telephony, IP phones, PC soft phones, cordless phones, mobile phones, digital phones and IP gateways and will be Ericsson Enterprise's largest IP Network in the UK covering 272 fully networked locations.
The Enterprise KAM for Market Unit North Western Europe is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a six-year, £9m managed service contract by Global Crossing for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
Under the contract with Global Crossing, Ericsson will provide the CPS with managed telephony services to more than 100 main sites across England and Wales, including its head quarters based in London, York and Birmingham, and numerous smaller offices. The CPS is the UK government department responsible for prosecuting criminal cases investigated by the police in England and Wales. Created by the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985, the CPS is an independent body that works closely with the police.
Jon Smith, Head of New Business KAM, said "This is a major step into managed services for Ericsson Enterprise in the UK and one of the best Enterprise managed services for voice telephony in the UK to win and once again demonstrates the strength of our relationship with Global Crossing."
Under the agreement Ericsson will provide the CPS with features such as home working, hot-desking, online directory services and voice mail for all extensions. These will help increase operational and cost efficiencies, allowing better use of resources and technology, as well as enabling flexible working practices to be adopted by the CPS.
All services provided by Ericsson offer the CPS a path towards convergence of both voice and data as their needs evolve over the next six years - today's systems and services are compatible with new technologies such as Voice over IP (VoIP).
"This gives us a great reference point for the government sector and will undoubtedly provide us with many more opportunities within this space. The service went live on April 1st and a tremendous amount of hard work and negotiation has been put by all those involved over the last couple of months to make this possible and I would like to offer my thanks to all those involved." concluded Jon Smith.
Ericsson has also completed the upgrade of the New Zealand Police’s current telephony platform in its rural areas to Ericsson IP telephony. Three thousand IP phones are installed to provide a more cost effective and efficient service.
The Police will upgrade the remaining 6,500 Ericsson phones to IP telephony phones using the new server based platform MX-ONE™. Press release
Dec 05
Ericsson Enterprise have made excellent progress in the UK & Ireland during 2005 and have regained the enterprise momentum once again. Their interim UK results indicate that they have achieved the following::
- 268,000 ports upgraded to BC12 in last 12 months (UK / Ireland)
- Over 70,000 ports of MD110 ordered in the last 12 months for new sites
- 20 Solidus systems ordered this year
- 49 OneBox solutions sold this year
Sept 05
John Whelan, director of Marketing, Ericsson Enterprise North America, says "This is a very valuable award, as the ICCM trade show is one of the most respected in the contact-center industry with attendees from North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia,"
"The agent application is one of the most important buying criteria and we are delighted that we can highlight this award in tenders and customer and partner newsletters," he says.
Naval Sodha, director of Product Management for Contact Center Products, accepted the award on behalf of the Ericsson team at the Bellagio Hotel ceremony.
Sodha believes Solidus eCare's focus on mobility, with preparation for IMS Integration and Presence support in the coming release, was the key to winning the award.
"What sets Solidus eCare apart and gives it the competitive edge is the support for mobility, where it applies to both contact center agents and customers.
"In some emerging markets, up to 90 percent of consumers use mobile phones only for communications, so it is essential that a contact center solution can, for example, allow a customer to switch at any time between SMS and voice or other forms of communication," he says.
Questex Media Group Show Director Christina Condos says the awards recognize products or services likely to have "the most significant impact" on the contact center and customer-relations industries.
"We feel this year's winners are truly at the forefront of innovation and ingenuity," she says.
Ericsson said, "The gateway allows enterprises to support desk phones and mobile phones from the same infrastructure."
Mobile users who are supported by the gateway can take advantage of typical PBX features including conferencing, call transfer and unified messaging, Ericsson said. The features can be accessed from a traditional mobile phone, smartphone or laptop computer. Press release
The solution was named "Best of Show" in the Desktop/Agency Productivity Tools category at the annual ICCM Conference and Expo on September 27.