Nortel to Provide Network Foundation for Vancouver Olympics

Nortel, a multinational telecommunications equipment manufacturer, announced that it is launching a project next month to implement a new unified communication solution for General Motors Place, the primary venue for ice hockey at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

 

The solution for General Motors Place will include a range of unified communications services from Nortel's (News - Alert) Global Services portfolio as well as Nortel's Communications Server 1000 for voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), Ethernet routing switch 8600 for data and desktop unified messaging, and Nortel wireless local area network (LAN) products.

 

Nortel’s unified communications solution will allow executive suite patrons to access instant replays along with team and player statistics. It will also allow them to order tickets, Canucks Team Store merchandise and concessions within the executive suite.

 

Nortel also plans to use the installed wireless infrastructure to extend instant replays and other fan amenities to mobile devices throughout General Motors (News - Alert) Place. Additionally it will enhance arena operations with asset tracking and management and mobile security solutions, said company officials.

 

For this project, Nortel is working closely with Canucks Sports & Entertainment, the owner of General Motor Place, and the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL). The company is based in Vancouver, British Columbia.

 

“Canucks Sports & Entertainment is committed to delivering world-class entertainment and sporting events to our fans and partners throughout British Columbia,” said Chris Zimmerman, president and CEO at Canucks Sports & Entertainment, in a statement. 

“Nortel is the official converged network equipment supplier for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games and has experience in outfitting sports arenas. That certainly helped us make the decision to choose Nortel as the provider for General Motors Place.”

 

“Like all of our recent sports arena wins, the solution we're implementing at General Motors Place shows that unified communications is about entertainment and productivity,” said Joel Hackney (News - Alert), president of the enterprise solutions division at Nortel, in a statement. “Fans get more entertainment options, more amenities, more enjoyment and fewer hassles. And arena staff get the tools they need to be more productive - in some cases, as much as 18 percent more productive based on third-party studies.”

 

Nortel’s telecommunications solutions have been previously selected for some of North America’s popular stadiums and arenas, including Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Jobing.com Arena in Phoenix, Bell Centre in Montreal, and Citi Field in Flushing, New York. Nortel is also the official network infrastructure partner for the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.