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NEC Helps ExpressJet Scale Operations NationwideIRVING, Texas --(Business Wire)-- Today, NEC Unified Solutions, Inc., a global leader in enterprise business communications, announced the completion of the first major phase of ExpressJet's IP network and unified communications (UC) rollout. The implementation includes an array of NEC IP infrastructure, applications, services and partner solutions, and is a showcase of the UNIVERGE(R)360 vision launched globally by NEC this year. ExpressJet Airlines is a subsidiary of ExpressJet Holdings (NYSE: XJT) that spun off from Continental Airlines in 2002. In 2005, the company engaged NEC to manage its IT and networking installation as the company was building a new headquarters in Houston, Texas. Shortly after the headquarters deployment the airline began offering its own branded regional flights in addition to the Continental Express and corporate aviation services it already operated. Upon learning the airline needed to quickly scale its IT resources to regional airports in 13 states, senior IT managers knew they would need to rely on NEC to be a single business communications solution provider that could help them scale nationwide and grow long-term. "What really stood out about NEC was the ability to handle every aspect of our deployment to help us achieve a unified business communications environment," said Mike Flansburg, senior director of information technology for ExpressJet. "From networks and applications to service and expertise, NEC continues to be a one-stop resource for us." Initially, the project called for a 90-day plan to design and implement voice over IP (VoIP) and unified messaging at its new corporate headquarters. Shortly after the first of two UNIVERGE(R) SV7000 communications servers and a UM8500 unified messaging platform were installed at headquarters, the ExpressJet project team learned the company's plans had been accelerated. The plan called for an opening of 24 airport sites in just 120 days. Halfway through that project, negotiations with Delta Airlines resulted in the addition of a substantial number of Delta Connection regional flights. Because tickets were being sold in advance of the openings, voice and data reliability became a critical success factor to the launch of ExpressJet-branded service. With these requirements in mind, the project team went to work - first securing the core network, then on to the 24 regional sites. Midway through the rollout plan, ExpressJet chose to engage NEC's Remote Managed Service team to monitor and manage its network traffic from the Network Operations Center in Irving, TX, which also provided critical support and information for the expansion project team. The Remote Managed Service team continues to manage and monitor ExpressJet's network on an ongoing basis today. Once the company's Cisco core IP network was in place, the project team was able to execute a fast multi-site rollout. Today, the company has plans and the existing capacity to expand its network to 100 sites and can scale to more, if the need arises. "ExpressJet needed a business communications integrator that was up to the challenge of providing a highly reliable yet forward-compatible solution," said Don Fiorentino, vice president and general manager of western regional sales for NEC Unified Solutions. "Through NEC's UNIVERGE 360 communications model, encompassing infrastructure, applications, service and support, ExpressJet has a reliable communications backbone that positions it for an applications-based future. We're confident ExpressJet will be able to continue to leverage NEC as its trusted provider." Today, ExpressJet's IP network is managed by two UNIVERGE SV7000 communications servers at its core for full redundancy and reliability. The company's new voice network includes 1,000 NEC IP handsets, 300 digital lines with UNIVERGE NEAX 2000 DML for the remote airport locations, a requirement based on ExpressJet's specific needs to provide system redundancy and allow each airport to function independently. UC applications the airline is currently using or deploying system-wide include UM8500 for unified messaging; CallCenterWorX for contact center management; QueWorX for customer service and productivity enhancement; Global Navigator for call tracking and agent productivity; call routing through Voice Recognition; and OpenWorX Personal Call Assistant for corporate directory access and personal productivity feature set. NEC also provides Remote Managed Services from its Network Operations Center in Irving, TX. In addition, ExpressJet is now deploying the newly announced UC for Enterprise application suite, including the UC700 productivity client, as well as the OW5000 middleware platform for integrating applications and the recently updated MA4000 Web-based application for centralized management of the company's enterprise communications. For a more detailed ExpressJet customer case study and information about NEC's IP voice, unified communications, mobility solutions, managed and professional services and more, visit www.necunified.com. For more information about ExpressJet, visit www.expressjet.com. For more information about NEC Unified Solutions, visit www.necunified.com. NEC and UNIVERGE are registered trademarks of NEC Corporation. NEAXMail is a registered trademark of NEC Corporation of America. |
