News Release: Hydrex Prepares For Expansion With Converged Solution From BT And Nortel Network

BT Convergent Solutions and Nortel Networks* [NYSE/TSX: NT] have completed an overhaul of Hydrex Equipment Ltd’s entire voice and data communications system, installing local (LAN) and wide area (WAN) networking with Quality of Service (QoS) at every port and adding the latest in IP (Internet Protocol) telephony technology. Hydrex, an excavator rental business headquartered in Bristol, consulted BT on its communications needs based on company growth. This included new head office premises, relocation of its branch in Scotland, and an additional branch at Liskeard.

Mark Dunkley, communications manager, Hydrex, said: “We were aware as the company started to grow out of its existing sites that the IT and communications network would need upgrading, but we were unsure of what would need to be done. We felt reassured that BT, together with Nortel Networks, would objectively assess our needs and come back with a solution that would best match our present and future requirements.”

The new solution delivered by BT Convergent Solutions includes Class of Service (CoS)-enabled BT NetEquIP and Nortel Networks IP telephony and data products. BT chose Nortel Networks Succession* 1000 for the Hydrex head office and Nortel Networks i2002 IP phones for the Portishead depot. Nortel Networks Business Communications Manager (BCM) was also installed at four depots to support IP telephony applications by integrating voice over IP and QoS data routing capabilities into a single, cost-effective solution. Hydrex’s standby location, Edinburgh, installed Succession Survival Branch Office with further IP telephony capabilities.

Gary Bowles, convergence technical consultant, BT, said: “Having a system powered by BT NetEquIP ensures great bandwidth, managed WAN and router combination, and any-to-any connectivity that exceeds customer expectations. The Nortel Networks equipment we have deployed will ensure that Hydrex’s sites are seamlessly connected with room to grow.”

Since the initial installation, BT has enhanced the convergence capabilities by integrating Hydrex’s new fleet of 120 mobile telephones into the network. Hydrex is also considering tracking devices and Blackberry handsets which will make the company even better equipped to communicate with employees and customers.

Ngaire Coulthart, BT account manager, Nortel Networks said: “Nortel Networks is committed to delivering fully integrated converged networks to support service provider business needs today with an eye on future growth. Together with BT, we helped Hydrex deploy a new communications system flexible enough to integrate with the existing network while providing the latest IP technology to take them into the future.”

To upgrade to a converged environment and support feature-rich IP telephony applications, Hydrex also deployed Nortel Networks enterprise data network, including Nortel Networks BayStack* Ethernet switching, and Nortel Networks Optivity* network management and Optivity Telephone Manager to enable full network management from a single location.

About Hydrex
Hydrex specialises in the short term rental, contract rental and sale of mobile plant and equipment within the industrial, rail and construction sectors. The business is divided into five operating divisions, industrial services, rail services, construction services, machine sales and part sales and is supported by a network of nine depots. Established in 1985, Hydrex is now one of the UK’s largest excavator rental organisations with a fleet of over one thousand machines.

About BT Convergent Solutions
BT Convergent Solutions (BT CS), formerly BT Business Information Systems and BT Connectivity Solutions, is a BT business providing workplace communications solutions for voice and data applications. BT CS serves the needs of every business, from teleworkers to large corporations. BT CS is one of the industry leaders in delivering convergent communications solutions that support both voice and data applications that have traditionally been provided by separate platforms. All of this is backed up with a comprehensive range of value add services to help businesses run their systems efficiently.

About Nortel Networks
Nortel Networks ‘One network. A world of choice.’ enterprise vision is about raising the bar with a new level of customer and employee engagement where and how the network is accessed while offering enterprises the power of choice in deployment options through industry-leading solutions in IP telephony, applications, data, and optical networking.

Nortel Networks is an industry leader and innovator focused on transforming how the world communicates and exchanges information. The Company is supplying its service provider and enterprise customers with communications technology and infrastructure to enable value-added IP data, voice and multimedia services spanning Wireless Networks, Wireline Networks, Enterprise Networks, and Optical Networks. As a global company, Nortel Networks does business in more than 150 countries. More information about Nortel Networks can be found on the web at www.nortelnetworks.com.

Nortel Networks, the Nortel Networks logo, the Globemark, Succession, BayStack and Optivity are trademarks of Nortel Networks.

For further information:
Ben Evetts/ Ben Barwick, The WhiteOaks Consultancy Limited, 020 7734 4945
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