PHILIPS SECURES £3 MILLION BUSINESS DEAL WITH BT

- Product supply contract for BT AirTalk platform retained

by Philips Business Communications -

International communications technology vendor, Philips Business Communications, has today announced that it has successfully renewed its contract with BT to be the sole supplier of telephony equipment for its BT AirTalk platform. The three year deal, worth approximately over £1 million per year to Philips, enables BT business customers to add DECT (Digitally Enhanced Cordless Telephony) infrastructure to almost any new or existing PBX telephony system.

BT AirTalk is an advanced system offering business customers the network functionality of a fixed phone, but with the mobility of a cordless handset, making on-site communications faster, easier, more reliable and more affordable. It is based on the DECT standard.

The BT AirTalk Server is a standalone server designed to connect to a new or existing telephony system (PBX or Centrex), including non-BT systems. Connection to the host can be analogue or digital, while the radio base stations provide the radio interface between the server and the cordless handsets, allowing users to roam the business site with seamless handover from one base station to another. It also provides back-up resilience as it can be connected to the PSTN externally.

Philips will supply the BT AirTalk DECT server and a range of state-of-the-art DECT handsets offering the kind of features that are considered vital in today’s telephony environments for the smooth operation of a business. In addition to the existing BT AirTalk C933 digital handset, which offers modern, advanced features such as call- line ID, incoming call filter, voice mail indication and text messaging functionality, Philips will 'future-proof' the AirTalk platform with four new handsets: the C944 is the new handset which will be standard for the systems; the D500 is a robust, 'ruggedised' industrial 'type' handset; the D500 ATEX is an 'intrinsically' safe product for use in hazardous areas, and the C244 handset, a cost-effective option for low-volume users, completes the range.

Philips has always been at the very forefront of wireless telephony and business mobility systems and its vision for the future of converged voice and data technologies was a key factor in the selection process. Philips’ solutions offer the capability for organisations to install fully integrated ‘hybrid’ solutions that will enable the business to develop towards fully converged voice and data networks at their own speed. This enables businesses to be flexible in their working practices and highly efficient in their IT and communications deployment.

The new agreement is the follow up to a previous five year contract that Philips had with BT to supply telephony equipment for the AirTalk platform.

Laurie Chisnell, Flexible Working Portfolio Product Manager in Convergence Solutions, says, “BT Partners with world class suppliers and BT AirTalk delivers our customers a best of breed product which is an integral part of our on-site mobility solution”.

About Philips Business Communications

Philips Business Communications (PBC) is an international communications technology vendor headquartered in Hilversum, Netherlands and with its UK head office in Cambridge.

PBC specialises in the provision of communications systems and the associated infrastructure, applications and services which are vital to all medium and large-sized enterprises in both the public and private sectors.

With an annual turnover in the region of €250 million and 1100 employees operating in 50 countries, PBC is a global communications technology vendor whilst being an autonomous business unit within Royal Philips Electronics.

PBC has extensive expertise in the areas of converged networks, virtual offices and customer relations providing its customers with all the benefits of simple to use, sophisticated voice systems which incorporate networking, mobile, messaging, contact centre solutions and IP telephony.

PBC’s core product offering is based around its series of voice servers, wired and wireless peripherals, applications software and converged voice and data integration services, which are marketed under the SOPHO brand name. PBC continues to build upon its ICT heritage by expanding into the areas of web-enabled applications, systems integration and valued added services.

PBC currently provides communications products and services to over 12 million end-users, targeting a broad range of vertical markets including healthcare, government, public safety, utilities, education and hospitality.