Telecommunications Industry Guide for SMB buyers
Telecom equipment vendors
Avaya
Avaya provides communications solutions designed for the entire spectrum of business sizes from the largest multinationals to businesses with fewer than ten employees. Avaya’s primary offerings for small and medium sized businesses include IP telephony solutions and traditional voice systems, as well as a host of applications, including messaging, contact center, mobility, and conferencing, among others.
Revenue (2006): $5.2B
Employees: 18,525
Leading brand names: Avaya, Partner, Legend, Merlin, MAGIX
Headquarters: Basking Ridge, New Jersey, USA
Customer Service number: 866-GO AVAYA
Website: http://www.avaya.com
Source: SEC Form 10K, December 8, 2006
Cisco
Cisco Unified Communications products are available as standalone software or devices and as integrated components in Cisco’s routers and switches. Together, they support traditional phone calls, voicemail and unified messaging, audio, video, and Web conferencing and collaboration and customer call centers. By enabling and accelerating the growing convergence of traditional communication methods with mobility and presence and preference information, Unified Communications solutions deliver both cost savings and enhanced personal and business productivity. Cisco Unified Communications solutions are sold to and used by both large corporations and small and medium-sized business.
Revenue (2006): $32B
Employees: 49,926
Leading brand names: Cisco Unity, Aironet, BPX
Headquarters: San Jose, California, USA
Customer Service number: 877-604-1494
Website: http://www.cisco.com
Source: SEC Form 10K, December 8, 2006
Nortel
Nortel’s customer premises-based circuit and packet telephone switching systems are designed for small, medium and large commercial enterprises and government agencies. These systems provide or can be configured with multiple applications, including voice communications features, such as voice messaging, call waiting and call forwarding, as well as advanced voice services, converged multimedia applications and other networking capabilities.
Revenue (2006): $10.5B
Employees: 35,239
Leading brand names: Alteon, Contivity, Merdian, Norstar,
Headquarters: Brampton, Ontario, Canada
Customer Service number: 800-4NORTEL
Website: http://www.nortel.com
Source: SEC Form 10K, May 1, 2006
Alcatel - Lucent
Alcatel-Lucent delivers complete and simple communication and collaboration solutions for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).
Alcatel-Lucent solutions are designed to help SMBs across different industry sectors increase customer satisfaction, improve employee efficiency and optimize management and operations. SMBs can rely on Alcatel-Lucent solutions to be user-centric, easy to implement, simple to manage, and cost-effective.
Revenue (2006): $24.3B
Employees: 79,000
Leading brand names: Alcatel, Lucent, Omni
Headquarters: Paris, France
Customer Service number: 1-888-4ALU411
Website: http://www.alcatel-lucent.com
Source: Company Fact Sheet at http://www.alcatel-lucent.com
NEC
The objective of NEC Key and Hybrid Systems is to help employees of small- to medium-sized companies respond to their business challenges more effectively. Key and hybrid systems are an ideal investment for small and growing organizations that require an advanced communication solution, which is designed specifically with them in mind. Built-in management functions bring value and control to growing businesses. Systems are easy to use, install and maintain resulting in a very low Total Cost of Ownership. All key and hybrid systems are built for the future and are designed for easy system software upgrades. This design keeps your investment current for many years to come.
Revenue (2006): $42B
Employees: 148,000
Leading brand names: Electra, Aspire, DSX, DS
Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan
Customer Service number: 800-2400-NEC
Website: http://www.necunifiedsolutions.com
Source: Company Fact Sheet at http://www.necunifiedsolutions.com
Matsushita
Panasonic Communications Co., Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Osaka, Japan-based Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. The company specializes in development, manufacturing and sales in the fixed-line communications equipment areas of operation, including document related equipment and the provision of network and system services and solutions.
Revenue (2006): $75B
Employees: 334,000
Leading brand names: Panasonic
Headquarters: Osaka, Japan
Customer Service number: 1-800-211-PANA
Website: http://www.panasonic.com
Source: SEC Form 20F, March 31, 2006
Inter-Tel
Inter-Tel offers voice and data communications solutions for customers of all sizes, whether you are a large enterprise, small to medium business, or have residential home-based business needs. Inter-Tel addresses business phone system needs with communications technology that includes network communications solutions based on Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology, a SIP-based multimedia network communications platform, converged (IP PBX) platforms and IP-centric systems.
Revenue (2006): $458MM
Employees: 1,949
Leading brand names: Axxess, Encore
Headquarters: Tempe, Arizona, USA
Customer Service number: 480-449-8900
Website: http://www.inter-tel.com
Source: SEC Form 10K, March 15, 2007
3Com
3Com Corporation is a leading provider of secure, converged voice and data networking solutions for enterprises of all sizes. 3Com offers a broad line of innovative products backed by world class sales, service and support, which excel at delivering business value for its customers.
Revenue (2006): $795MM
Employees: 5,572
Leading brand names: 3com
Headquarters: Marlborough, MA, USA
Customer Service number: 1-800-876-3266
Website: http://www.3com.com
Source: SEC Form 10K, August 11, 2006
Mitel
Mitel designs, markets and sells communications solutions to enterprises and organizations ranging from large multi-nationals to small businesses. Mitel’s portfolio of applications, call processing solutions and intuitive desktop devices are highly scalable, secure, easily managed and optimized to meet the complete communications needs of customers.
Revenue (2006): $260MM
Employees: 1,553
Leading brand names: Mitel, Spectralink
Headquarters: Ontario, Canada
Customer Service number: 703-318-7020
Website: http://www.mitel.com
Source: SEC Form 20F, October 31, 2006