NEWS BRIEFS

McLean, VA. — Nortel Networks, a global leader in telephony, data, wireless and wireline solutions for the Enterprise and Service Provider markets, announced that it has received full critical interoperability certification from the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) for the Meridian SL-100 Digital Switching System.

This certification is significant in that Nortel Networks is currently the only vendor in the world with a switching product that meets DISA’s Generic Switching Center Requirements.

Under DISA’s Generic Switching Center Requirements (GSCR), all vendors who provide a communication interface that connects to the Defense Switched Network (DSN) must meet a complete set of critical interoperability requirements, as verified through a comprehensive testing process. This testing process is based on the Generic Switching Test Plan issued and controlled by DISA’s Joint Interoperability Test Command (JITC) in Fort Huachuca, AZ.

GSCR testing was conducted over several months at the JITC’s Network Engineering Integration Laboratory (NEIL) and Strategic Switching Laboratory (SSL), as well as Nortel Networks’ Richardson, TX, Meridian Test Lab. During this process, Nortel Networks’ Meridian SL-100 Digital Switching System with Software Release MSL11 was able to provide both end office (EO) and multi-function switching throughout the global Defense Switched Network. The Meridian SL-100 with Software Release MSL11 was also able to connect seamlessly to multiple North American and European vendor switching interfaces including T1, E1 PRI, CCS7 and PTS circuits, while maintaining support for mission critical applications such as Multi-Level Precedence and Preemption (MLPP).

By achieving GSCR certification, Nortel Networks has become the recognized technology leader for any new voice switching system deployment or software upgrade that involves direct connection to the worldwide Defense Switched Network. Further, Nortel Networks is now the only vendor with a switching system certified for joint use by all branches of the armed forces for connecting to the Defense Information System Network (DISN).

The Defense Information System Network (DISN) connects all Department of Defense installations around the world, providing secure voice, data and video connections to more than 500 locations. DISN capabilities such as integrated voice, imagery and data transmission facilitate the management of information resources by warfighters and are critical to the U.S. military’s ability to rapidly respond to national security and defense needs, anytime, anywhere.

“Being the first and only company to receive critical interoperability certification from the Defense Information Systems Agency is a significant accomplishment,” said Gene Merson, Nortel Networks’ Vice President of Federal Sales. “This achievement exemplifies Nortel Networks’ commitment to meet the unique needs of government agencies by effectively leveraging the key elements of our High Performance Network Architecture – flexibility, scalability and reliability.”

Nortel Networks is a global Internet and communications leader with capabilities spanning Optical, Wireless, Local Internet and eBusiness. The Company had 1999 U.S. GAAP revenues of $21.3 billion and serves carrier, service provider and enterprise customers globally. Today, Nortel Networks is creating a high-performance Internet that is more reliable and faster than ever before. It is redefining the economics and quality of networking and the Internet, promising a new era of collaboration, communications and commerce. Visit us at http://www.nortelnetworks.com .

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