AT&T Inc. and equipment maker Avaya Inc. have allied to help businesses and government agencies migrate to IP telephony.

AT&T is installing Avayas products including Communications Manager in its IP network so it can provision IP solutions from the WAN to the desktop IP phone. AT&T will manage a customers entire infrastructure, including IP PBXs, media servers, voice gateways, voicemail systems, IP phones and IP soft phones. Throughout the migration process, customers will work with one point of contact for design, implementation, operation, and ongoing management and maintenance, AT&T said.

Interoperability is one of the biggest challenges facing businesses and government agencies today, as they plan their migration to VoIP and IP telephony, said Eric Shepcaro, AT&T vice president of business strategy and development. This alliance addresses that challenge, ensuring that regardless of where enterprises are in this migration, their traditional voice networks will interoperate with their IP-based voice network and equipment.

AT&T and Avaya have been working together over the last few years, but the formal alliance expands their efforts globally.

AT&T Inc. www.thenewatt.com
Avaya Inc. www.avaya.com