Avaya Delivers Converged Network Equipment Solution to Support All Voice, Data and Video Requirements for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games

BASKING RIDGE, NJ--(Marketwire - February 8, 2010) - Avaya, a global leader in enterprise communications systems, today announced it has deployed the first converged network equipment solution for powering all voice, video and data traffic on the Bell Olympic network to the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC).

As the official converged network equipment supplier to VANOC, Avaya is supporting the delivery of Bell's Olympic network. Bell is VANOC's Exclusive Telecommunications Partner delivering the all-IP Games.

The network, which has carried live business traffic for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games staff since the summer of 2009, now supports operations for communications, transportation, registration and accreditation of athletes and media, public safety, ticket sales and other critical elements including the timing, posting and certification of event scores. During the Olympic Games, the network also will carry all broadcast media feeds, scores and statistics, enabling VANOC to provide this information instantaneously to audiences around the globe.

"In many ways, the converged network solution we are providing to VANOC and Bell is similar in performance, reliability, security and scope to running the communications infrastructure of a small country," said Kevin Kennedy, president and CEO, Avaya. "Avaya is proud to share in the spirit of the 2010 Winter Games -- the international cooperation, sporting competition, and goodwill among nations -- and to have this unique opportunity to showcase our solutions on such a global stage."

More than three billion television viewers across 160 countries will have access to live event coverage, as will more than 10,000 media representatives from print, television, radio and Internet outlets that will pull broadcast feeds, scores and statistics directly from the network. These varying bandwidth requirements of the media will dwarf the needs from all previous Olympic Games, and Avaya's converged network equipment solution for powering all voice, video and data traffic helps provide Bell with a more flexible and cost-effective approach for managing such high volumes of traffic.

When the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games begin on Feb. 12, 2010, the network will support more than one million visitors and operations personnel and connect more than 15 Olympic Games venues across some of the most challenging, rugged and remote terrain for deploying network equipment. It will support the personal communications of 5,500 Olympic athletes and officials from 80 countries, as well as more than 25,000 on-site volunteers.

"This year, we are backed by a highly-sophisticated network architecture from Bell and a network equipment solution from Avaya that for the first time converges voice and video into a much more powerful system that can support a much broader range of operations -- and do it much more efficiently," said Ward Chapin, chief information officer, VANOC. "We are setting a new standard of excellence by which future Olympic Games communications systems will be judged."

The Avaya system was designed to be one of the most efficient and sustainable Olympic Games network equipment solutions deployed to date. Avaya data solutions deliver up to 40 percent in energy savings over comparable industry equipment, and although much of this equipment is being installed for a large, one-time event, approximately 98 percent of the total deployment will remain in place at the venues, be refurbished and repurposed for other deployments, or disposed of in a sustainable fashion through end-of-life e-waste programs.

About Avaya - Avaya is the global leader and expert in business communications. The company provides unified communications, contact centers, and related services directly and through its channel partners to leading businesses and organizations around the world. Enterprises of all sizes depend on Avaya for state-of-the-art communications that improve efficiency, collaboration, customer service and competitiveness. For more information please visit www.avaya.com.

Contact Information: Media Inquiries: Jay Barta 972-685-2381 jbarta@avaya.com