TORONTO – Nortel has partnered with Microsoft to offer businesses and communications services providers a one-stop shop for communications systems, the companies announced today.
Clients can use Nortel’s Global Services business to take care of the “nuts and bolts” of their networks, said Dietmar Wendt, the new president of the unit. "We want to be the ‘partner of choice’ and the number one network services and solutions provider in all segments where we choose to compete," Wendt said. "To achieve this, we plan to relieve our customers of network concerns by ensuring they have the right hardware, software and configurations for maximizing interaction of networks and components from multiple vendors, integrators, and services. Nortel can take over these time-consuming details for customers, freeing valuable resources to focus on their businesses, not their networks."
Wendt said the company will be hiring more staff throughout Nortel’s regions, improve incentive plans for partners, introduce competitive pricing, and grow its relationship with Microsoft.
That partnership will improve Nortel’s real-time voice and multimedia integration to create advanced unified communications solutions. It could be a ticket to boost the company, said Nortel president and CEO Mike Zafirovski. "Restoring Nortel to a position of leadership and growth requires a more services and solutions-led approach. We are making rapid progress toward a services business that will align Nortel with the industry’s best."
Other changes Nortel is making to focus on services include:
– Establishing a new operational model for the Global Services business unit more suitable for competing in this market space. The model features four Service Product Groups focused on global business development.
– Introducing Network Implementation Services, Network Support Services, Network Managed Services, and Network Applications Services. It also includes two Business Solutions Groups to drive vertical market solutions and to create new services capabilities through Nortel’s expanding services partner system.
– Creating Network Business Solutions and Network Partner Solutions. Nortel is also investing in the evolution of its services tools and core processes using a Lean Six Sigma approach.
– Strengthening regional services execution and delivery by establishing local accountability for resource planning, skills development and acquisition, cost management, sales effectiveness, and customer satisfaction. This is expected to make Nortel more nimble in responding to the needs of global enterprises like London-based Rolls-Royce and service providers like India’s Bharti Airtel Limited, each of which recently signed long-term managed services agreements with Nortel.
– Defining a “go-to-market” model that delivers Nortel-branded services and solutions directly or through channel partners and systems integrators based on customer requirements.
