Nortel, Microsoft team for unified communications

Nortel Networks Ltd. announced a wide-ranging agreement with software giant Microsoft Corp. to cash in on the potential for unified communications, which the company said would “break down barriers between voice, e-mail, instant messaging, multimedia conferencing and other forms of communication.”
“Nortel Global Services provide a complete, end-to-end solution, making it very simple for businesses to realize the benefits of unified communications,” said Dietmar Wendt, president of Global Services for Nortel. “Customers gain immediate access to a wealth of experience in design and deployment with limited investment in people and capital. Very few companies have this level of expertise, a real competitive differentiator for Nortel.”
Nortel’s annoucement included a customer event in New York City hosted by Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer and Nortel’s Mike Zafirovski.