Virgin Blue Flies Into New Era of Unified Communications With Avaya

Avaya Leverages Partner Ecosystem to Deliver a Secure IP Telephony Network & Call Center Solution Managed by NSC


SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA--(Marketwire - September 9, 2008) - Avaya has been selected to provide a Unified Communications solution for Virgin Blue as part of the airline's evolving New World Carrier strategy, a vision to step up its strong focus on providing superior customer service.

The Unified Communications strategy, encompassing IP telephony and contact centre technology from Avaya and video-conferencing from global partner Polycom, will be delivered by NSC Enterprise Solutions Pty Ltd, Avaya's largest BusinessPartner in Australia, as part of a five year Managed Services agreement. The agreement, the first of its kind within Virgin Blue, will see NSC provide ongoing management of the entire communications infrastructure -- throughout the enterprise, within the contact centre and on the move.

With the introduction of Australia's newest airline, V Australia, which will begin flights to the US West Coast from December 2008 and the continued expansion of both Virgin Blue and Pacific Blue, the airline is in the process of relocating a number of sites throughout Brisbane into one new purpose-built premise in the growth suburb of Bowen Hills, Brisbane.

The move provided the catalyst for a total technology refresh from the desktop, the voice and data networks through to the Guest Contact Center. A key component of this project is the evolution from its legacy TDM telephony to cutting edge IP Telephony infrastructure.

According to David Harvey, General Manager of IT, Virgin Blue Airlines, the decision to move to a Managed Service model for its voice and contact center services will enable Virgin Blue to focus on its core business.

"As Virgin Blue Airlines continues to grow, both locally and internationally, and as the airline industry becomes increasingly competitive, we feel it is important we focus on what we do best."

"As technology becomes more complex and increasingly embedded into our business processes, the skills needed to manage such an environment are very specialised. NSC has a proven track record in designing, implementing and managing this type of environment, which was extremely important in our decision making process," said Harvey.

The company's commitment to reducing its carbon footprint doesn't stop in the skies -- the new technology allows Virgin Blue to significantly increase its network of home-agents while Polycom video conferencing will improve the company's meeting capabilities. An additional business benefit is the ability of Avaya's communications solution to integrate with Virgin Blue's back office processes to automate specified actions.

"Working with NSC to introduce Avaya IP-enabled technology, the potential for increased productivity and employee satisfaction is huge -- we're looking at our desktop and multifunction devices to enable employees to work anywhere, anytime, from any device. Embedding Avaya into our overall communications infrastructure will enable us to manage growing demand, improve responsiveness and raise customer satisfaction," added Harvey.

According to Carlton Taya, Managing Director, Avaya South Pacific, the Avaya solution being implemented aligns with Virgin Blue's key business imperatives including premium customer services, profitability, innovation and a commitment to the community.

"Virgin Blue is leveraging Avaya's strong ecosystem of partners -- including NSC and Polycom -- to create its unified communications strategy and ultimately drive efficiencies for corporate executives throughout the enterprise," said Taya. "Not only does the Avaya technology provide Virgin Blue with more effective communications, it also provides a consistent experience for travellers regardless of their method of interaction with the airline."

The Avaya communications solution comprises Avaya Communications Manager, dual S8730 media servers, S8730 and S8500 Enterprise Survivable Servers providing full redundancy, IP gigabit handsets on desktop and softphones for remote agents, Verint call recording and Avaya reporting in the contact centre.

About Virgin Blue

Virgin Blue took off on 31 August 2000 with just two aircraft, one route and 200 team members. The company now has approximately 32 percent of the domestic market, a fleet of 55 aircraft and operates more than 2200 flights a week to 22 Australian destinations.

About Avaya

Avaya delivers Intelligent Communications solutions that help companies transform their businesses to achieve marketplace advantage. More than one million businesses worldwide, including more than 90 percent of the FORTUNE 500®, use Avaya solutions for IP telephony, unified communications, contact centers and communications-enabled business processes. Avaya Global Services provide comprehensive service and support for companies, small to large. For more information, visit the Avaya Web site at http://www.avaya.com.

About NSC

For more than 19 years, the NSC Group, a wholly Australian owned and operated company, has specialised in the design, implementation, management and maintenance of highly sophisticated IP Telephony solutions. The NSC Group offers Managed Services, applications and solutions for converged voice and data networks, contact centres, CTI, interactive voice response, unified messaging, proactive contact management and multi-service networks. Further information is available at www.nsc.net.au

Contact Information: Linda Motherwell Avaya Media Relations +61 2 9352 9107 motherwell@avaya.com Deb Kline Avaya Media Relations 908-953-6179 klined@avaya.com