Lucent Technologies to Integrate Alvarion's WiMAX-Ready Platform into Its Converged Networking Portfolio
MURRAY HILL, N.J. - Jan. 11, 2005 - Lucent and Alvarion Partner to
Deliver Converged Networking Solution That Enables Service Providers to
Complement Existing 3G Mobile and Wireline Networks with WiMAX
Lucent Technologies (NYSE: LU) today announced its plans to integrate
WiMAX technology, based on the IEEE's 802.16 standard, through
Alvarion's (NASDAQ:ALVR) BreezeMAX(TM) product line -- into its
Accelerate(TM) Next Generation Communications Solutions portfolio, which
includes Lucent's industry-leading IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS)
solution. Lucent's IMS-based convergence solution, which will include
support for WiMAX, can help service providers deliver seamless
communications services across a variety of wireless and wireline
networks and enables the introduction of new converged "lifestyle"
service bundles that can increase customer satisfaction and reduce
customer churn.
Lucent will team with Alvarion, a market leader in wireless broadband
networks, to deliver a converged networking solution to service
providers that includes the seamless interoperability of WiMAX,
third-generation (3G) mobile (CDMA2000(R) and W-CDMA/UMTS), WiFi and
wireline networks. Additionally, as part of this initiative, Lucent
Worldwide Services (LWS) will provide a comprehensive suite of
deployment, maintenance, and professional services to support WiMAX
infrastructure and applications, further extending LWS' multi-vendor
services capabilities in important growth markets.
"WiMAX clearly complements existing and emerging 3G mobile and wireline
networks, and can play a significant role in helping our customers
deliver converged service offerings that can be accessed using a broad
range of devices on a wide variety of networks," said John Marinho, vice
president of strategic marketing for Lucent Technologies. "Our Bell Labs
expertise, industry-leading IMS portfolio, best-in-class 3G mobile and
broadband wireline solutions, and end-to-end services capabilities place
Lucent in the best position to implement WiMAX technology as part of a
converged networking solution. We're very excited to work with Alvarion
because they are the front-runners and thought leaders in the WiMAX
arena and this relationship will enhance our product portfolio."
BreezeMAX is Alvarion's 3G OFDM (orthogonal frequency division
multiplexing) platform with advanced Non-Line-of-Sight (NLOS)
functionality and a leading WiMAX-ready platform.
"Alvarion is pleased to be selected by Lucent for our outstanding
WiMAX-ready product portfolio leveraged by our 10 plus years of
experience in the wireless field," said Zvi Slonimsky, CEO of Alvarion.
"No doubt this relationship will be a vehicle in the evolution of the
fixed broadband wireless market to widespread availability of mobile
broadband and reflects our commitment to the future of WiMAX."
The underlying foundation of Lucent's converged networking portfolio is
the Lucent IMS solution, a service delivery platform that enables
service providers to simply and cost-effectively introduce new voice
over IP (VoIP) and multimedia services. Lucent's IMS solution enables
operators to deliver services that blend voice and data capabilities,
simplifying the creation of converged "lifestyle" service bundles. It
also helps reduce the introduction costs and time-to-market for new
services by leveraging a common applications infrastructure to deliver
services with a common "look and feel" across 3G mobile, WiFi, WiMAX,
and wireline networks.
Both companies are members of the WiMAX Forum(TM), an industry-led
organization that facilitates the compatibility and certification of
broadband wireless access equipment, with Alvarion holding several
prominent positions on the board. The WiMAX Forum is expected to certify
products as WiMAX Forum Certified(TM) later this year. By working with
Alvarion and the WiMAX Forum, Lucent will ensure that WiMAX is
compatible with 3G mobile and wireline networks, and that it meets
service provider requirements for quality, reliability and performance.
About Lucent Technologies
Lucent Technologies designs and delivers the systems, services and
software that drive next-generation communications networks. Backed by
Bell Labs research and development, Lucent uses its strengths in
mobility, optical, software, data and voice networking technologies, as
well as services, to create new revenue-generating opportunities for its
customers, while enabling them to quickly deploy and better manage their
networks. Lucent's customer base includes communications service
providers, governments and enterprises worldwide. For more information
on Lucent Technologies, which has headquarters in Murray Hill, N.J.,
USA, visit http://www.lucent.com.
About Alvarion
With more than two million units deployed in 130 countries, Alvarion is
the worldwide leader in wireless broadband providing systems to
carriers, ISPs and private network operators, and also in extending
coverage of GSM and CDMA mobile networks to developing countries and
other hard-to-serve areas.
Leading the WiMAX revolution, Alvarion has the most extensive
deployments and proven product portfolio in the industry covering the
full range of frequency bands with both fixed and mobile solutions.
Alvarion's products enable the delivery of business and residential
broadband access, corporate VPNs, toll quality telephony, mobile base
station feeding, hotspot coverage extension, community interconnection,
public safety communications, and mobile voice and data. Alvarion works
with several global OEM providers and more than 200 local partners to
support its diverse global customer base in solving their last-mile
challenges.
As a wireless broadband pioneer, Alvarion has been driving and
delivering innovations for more than 10 years from core technology
developments to creating and promoting industry standards. Leveraging
its key roles in the IEEE and HiperMAN standards committees and
experience deploying OFDM-based systems, the company's prominent work in
the WiMAX Forum is focused on increasing widespread adoption of
standards-based products in the wireless broadband market and leading
the entire industry to mobile WiMAX solutions. For more information,
visit Alvarion's World Wide Web site at www.alvarion.com.
CDMA2000 is a registered trademark of the Telecommunications Industry
Association.
Contacts
Lucent Technologies
Ichiro Kawasaki
+1 973-386-3479 (office)
+1 973-477-4793 (mobile)
kawasaki@lucent.com
or
Lucent Technologies
Kurt Steinert
+1 973 386-8438 (office)
+1 908 285-1641 (mobile)
ksteinert@lucent.com
or
Alvarion - U.S.
Whitney Gilliam, +1 972-308-9116
wgilliam@golinharris.com
or
Alvarion Ltd.
Carmen Deville, +1 760-517-3188
carmen.deville@alvarion.com