Ericsson MD110 User Group News 2007

Aastra has bolstered its role in the HP ProCurve Open Network Ecosystem alliance (HP ProCurve ONE)

Aastra have certified both MX-0ne and the Aastra 5000. For full press detils click here.

Yes - at last someone is recruiting apprentices ... Well done Damovo!

Being a bit bias (as an Ericsson apprentice back in the 70's) the move from Damovo to invest in the future with an apprentice scheme is good news ... article.

Aastra post strong results for Q1 09...

Despite the challenging marketplace conditions, Aastra continue to post strong financial results Press release

Thales bows out of comms maintenance...

As of September Thales are exiting from their Comms maintenance and support activities. This will have an impact on any customers with existing maintenance contracts and smaller partners who use Thales approved second line support operations. Notice had been served and this period runs out in September, we assume all existing customers are fully aware and have other arrangements in place.
We understand the reasons behind the exit is the loss of major service contracts to Telent which proved to be the final straw in what could best be described as a marginal business for Thales.

TMA to CMA and then BCS... a sign of the times.

A little more than a name change this time as we hear that the merging of the of CMA with BCS has now resulted in the closure of the CMA Leatherhead back office and the imminent redundancy of the support team. A sign of a converging comms world perhaps, but still a regretful loss of some dedicated staff who were always extremely helpful to their members. Let us hope the BCS team will be able to match the service and support of theiri predecessors.

Aastra have just reported record Q4 and year end revenues 24/2/08

These results include a 43rd continuous quarter of profit (press release). Strong Solidus sales have been reported in Q3/Q4 and overall the former Ericsson enterprise business solutions portfolio have seen a 16.2% sales increase. User group feedback indicates that Aastra need to concentrate more on local brand promotion and influencing the consultant / analyst community in 2009.

Damovo announce management changes at the top (7/11/08)

Damovo have appointed Paul Butcher as the new managing director of the UK operations (more) replacing Nick Dean from immediate effect. A new sales director is also in the process of being announced.

telent and Premises Networks join forces (23/9/08)

telent, a leading provider of technology services, today announced that it has acquired Premises Networks Management plc, a specialist provider of telecommunications system integration services that operates predominantly in the UK. (Full news article)

Aastra decide to take technical product training back under their direct control in the UK.

Plans are announced to take technical product training back under the control of Aastra. Full details will be announced by the end of Sept 08. This is intended to focus on the partner training and certification activities.

Aastra reverse the Ericsson phaseout announcement for DNA

Aastra have reviewed the phase out decision for DNA taken my Ericsson managment last year. Having listened to the user community and not just product marketing they have agreed to cancel the phase out and continue the DNA product alongside the CMG application suite. We think this is great news for the existing customer who really like the DNA product.

Damovo implements two major NHS projects deploying MX-ONE solutions

Damovo have successfully implemented two new large MX-ONE solutions into Cardiff and Vale and Doncaster & Bassettlaw NHS Trusts.

Aastra win a 1.2M contract to upgrade the CPS

The upgrade project is being delivered by Premises Networks and due to begin in June 08 for a period of 9 months. Following the success of upgrading and IP enabling 107 sites last year on behalf of Network Rail, Premises Networks ‘do it again’ having received an order for £1.2M to upgrade 96 sites, to IP enable a major UK wide Central Government Organisation. Maurice Lee, MD of Premises Networks states, ‘I am extremely pleased for Premises Networks to be part of this deal, we have not only been contracted to upgrade all the sites but the project is also to replace some 11,000 handsets within the contract term,

Aastra purchase the Ericsson Enterprise PBX business...

Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) has entered into an agreement to divest its enterprise PBX solutions business to Aastra Technologies (TSX:AAH). The agreement involves transfer of approximately 630 employees of which some 360 are based in Sweden. The transaction is expected to close in April 2008. Announcement

Ericsson/Aastra will be making full statements to the user group which will be communicated. No doubt you will also be informed by your service provider. We have opened a forum for discussion here

Ericsson take the environmental lead...

Ericsson was honoured as "Best in Class" in its approach to climate change disclosure in a report released by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), a coalition of over 315 global investors with more than USD 41 trillion in assets. Ericsson was the only telecommunications supplier and Swedish company to be named in the leadership index. (Full press release)

Ericsson MX-ONE wins two major contracts in the UK.

Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust 6000 + ports

Westminster City Council 5000 ports

Formal press announcements will follow shortly.

SIP Based Enterprise Multimedia Server from Ericsson

Ericsson's (NASDAQ:ERIC) new Enterprise Multimedia Server offers companies a fast, cost-effective way to roll out user-centric Unified Communications with Ericsson patented Mobile Extension support. By putting users at the center of communication - with a single point of contact - the new system enables them to keep in touch wherever they are, using their preferred available device and network.

The Enterprise Multimedia Server is a business communication solution that provides user-centric Unified Communications that fully adhere to the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) standard, and is perfect for small to medium enterprises or small office/home office customers.

It gives business users a single point of contact for any form of communication - voice, e-mail, fax, SMS or instant message - regardless of where they are and what device, fixed or mobile, they want to use. Presence information, preference management and real-time monitoring of colleagues are available for all users on all devices.

Urban Gillström, head of Ericsson's enterprise business, says: "With this solution our customers can make the leap from traditional directory-centric communication to the converged, user-centric world of tomorrow. Its open architecture, scalability and manageability mean companies can be sure that their investment in Unified Communications infrastructure will be protected, and will add value, for years to come."

Powerful auto-provisioning capabilities for all components mean the Enterprise Multimedia Server is quick to install and easy to manage. The solution is supplied as a feature-rich 'single-box' solution including SIP server, application server and media server.

Its user-friendly applications and powerful web-based management features help enterprises gain full control of their communications, while built-in mechanisms to reduce roaming expenses, keep total cost of ownership down resulting in a rapid return on investment.

Ericsson is shaping the future of Mobile and Broadband Internet communications through its continuous technology leadership. Providing innovative solutions in more than 140 countries, Ericsson is helping to create the most powerful communication companies in the world.

Read more at http://www.ericsson.com/press

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Ericsson Media Relations

Phone: +46 8 719 6992

E-mail: press.relations@ericsson.com

About the Ericsson Enterprise Multimedia Server

The Enterprise Multimedia Server can be scaled from 40 to 500 users, making it particularly suitable for the small and medium enterprises. It comes with a complete suite of embedded applications including: unified messaging (voice, fax and e-mail); SIP soft clients; SIP-based operator workstation; Ericsson's patented Mobile Extension Client; automated call distribution (ACD); SIP-based ACD client; interactive voice response (IVR); automated attendant; web-based conferencing portal; and conversation recording. The system also provides hot standby, security and redundancy without dropping of on-going calls.

The use of open standard interfaces and protocols - including SIP, SIMPLE, XML, LADP, QSIG, SNMP, MP3 and WAV - means the Enterprise Multimedia Server can be integrated easily with third-party applications or third-party SIP gateways and phones. The system also integrates with other Ericsson products, including the Ericsson Solidus eCare system, to provide a very powerful multimedia contact center solution.

The Enterprise Multimedia Server is designed to start small and scale up easily, offering a complete multimedia server solution that can be integrated into operator IMS infrastructure. For enterprises, the system offers a very strong solution for providing fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) with real-time collaboration capabilities on smartphones.

Its unique Mobile Client+ solution speeds up return on investment to just a few months by dramatically reducing mobile roaming costs. Advanced Least Cost Routing algorithms, automatic call-back mechanisms and support for temporary travel SIM cards for mobiles are just a few examples of system components that contribute to reduced total cost of ownership.

The Enterprise Multimedia Server offers multiple implementation scenarios, and can be deployed as a multi-tenant, multi-user system, with multiple levels of administration, making it suitable for shared-office environment.

NCS acquisition of Soneric

NCS acquisition of Soneric communications is seen as a stategic investment in their provision of communications solutions. NCS business turnover has grow from 4M to 25 M in less than 10 years and this latest move is to build a successful communication solutions business using Ericsson's strong portfolio of products (NCS statement)