Nortel Expands SMB Portfolio, Tools for Channel Partners

Nortel announced the addition of two new data products to its SMB portfolio, as well as enhancements to existing SMB solutions. Nortel’s new SMB products and enhancements include: Business Ethernet Switch 200 and Business Ethernet Switch 50 portfolios, Business Communications Manager 50 (BCM50) Release 2 and enhancements to the Digital Mobility portfolio.

Nortel says its Business Ethernet Switch 200 and Business Ethernet Switch 50 bolster the company’s recently announced SMB portfolio of voice, data and wireless solutions to bring the power of wireless LAN, Ethernet switching, security and converged voice and data to smaller businesses. The Business Ethernet Switch 200 series will be available in late November and the Business Ethernet Switch 50 series will be available in December.

“Because our company handles a large volume of emergency calls when people are without heat, we need our communications systems to be reliable and offer quality and advanced features. We had a Nortel Norstar phone system for years and knew we’d turn to Nortel when it was time to update our system,” said Gary Bekolay, president of 72 Degrees Heating & Cooling Solutions Inc. in Carp, Ontario. “We are now using a complete Nortel SMB communications solution, including the Business Ethernet Switch 50, Business Access Point 120 and Business Secure Router 222, to deliver a superior service experience for our customers.”

Additionally, Intelligent Contact Center and Multimedia Contact Center has been added to Nortel’s BCM50, giving SMBs access to detailed reporting, real-time statistics and Web presence features previously only available to large enterprises, said the company. Nortel’s BCM50 Release 2 and Digital Mobility additions will be available in December.

With the addition of these new SMB products, Nortel is introducing new tools for channel partners, which include an SMB configuration and pricing tool to assist partners in quoting and ordering Nortel products, as well as an SMB-specific Marketing on Demand design tool to help channel partners create co-branded collateral for events, direct mail pieces and promotional items.

Nortel recently introduced regional campaigns to address the needs of SMBs and channel partners. In North America, new and existing resellers have access to predefined SMB voice and data packages, and Nortel’s IPT 1-2-3 initiative provides implementation options for enterprises to migrate or upgrade to IP telephony. Nortel also extended its broad channel partner ‘Assurance’ services portfolio for Europe, Middle East and Africa with the addition of the SMB Partner Assurance Contract (PAC) and launched a new momentum marketing campaign focused on the mantra, “Grow your Business. Think Small.

Nortel www.nortel.com