W SEOUL LUXURY HOTEL DEPLOYS Wi-Fi IP TELEPHONY FROM NORTEL NETWORKS




Offers High-Quality Voice, Text Services for Management, Staff on the Move



-/02 September, 2004 - Wi-Fi Technology News/-The W Seoul Walkerhill Hotel has placed into service a voice over wireless local area network (VoWLAN) solution from Nortel Networks (NYSE/TSX: NT) to enable high-quality mobile voice communications for hotel management and staff. ECS Telecom, a Nortel Networks ?Channel Partner,? deployed the network.

?This is the first W Hotel in Asia and it represents a new pinnacle in Starwood?s tradition of innovation and excellence,? said Martin Jones, general manager, W Seoul Walkerhill. ?It is only fitting that management and staff be provided with the latest in wireless mobile technology to support them in the prompt and efficient delivery of the very best quality of service to our guests, as well as enhance their availability to co-workers and suppliers.?


?This is the first introduction of our VoWLAN technology in Korea,? said Soo-jin Chung, managing director, Nortel Networks Korea. ?We were selected to supply this WLAN Internet Protocol (IP) telephony solution because of its high voice quality, convenience of use and ability to support text messaging, as well as the future-proof scalability of our WLAN product portfolio. This means Starwood can easily expand to meet future telephony needs.?


The VoWLAN deployment for W Seoul Walkerhill followed the recent implementation of a Nortel Networks Succession* 1000 IP PBX. Nortel Networks WLAN products seamlessly integrate with the Succession IP PBX.


The WLAN IP telephony solution for W Seoul Walkerhill includes more than 60 Nortel Networks WLAN Handsets 2211, Nortel Networks WLAN IP Telephony Manager 2245, WLAN Application Gateway 2246, and WLAN 2050 Mobile Voice Client (MVC) 2050 Softphone for Pocket PC-based PDAs.


Nortel Networks WLAN Handsets 2211, the smallest and lightest IP telephones available, provide robust coverage and clear voice quality for VoWLAN applications. Delivering the full breadth of Nortel Networks telephony feature set in a portable IP device, the 2211s also provide walkie talkie-style communications.


Nortel Networks WLAN IP Telephony Manager 2245 optimises the connection between handsets and the call server to manage voice prioritisation and support the exacting requirements of voice communications. Nortel Networks WLAN Application Gateway 2246 enables standards-based, thirdparty software applications to be integrated with wireless handsets, including such applications as nurse call systems in hospital wards, inventory system look-ups in retail and warehousing sites, and control systems interactions in industrial and manufacturing facilities.


The new W Seoul Walkerhill is the 19th W Hotel in the world as well as Asia?s first. W Hotels Worldwide is a collection of world-class hotels with a unique balance of comfort and leading design. Located on the slopes of Mount Acha in the resort district of Walkerhill, W Seoul Walkerhill will be the first to offer customised guest rooms by color and scent, three distinctive restaurants and one of the most extensive spa facilities in Asia. W Seoul Walkerhill in South Korea is W?s third location outside of the United States, following Sydney, Australia and Mexico City.


The 253-room, 14-story luxury hotel is part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, one of the world?s largest hotel and leisure companies. Its brand names include St. Regis, Sheraton, Westin, The Luxury Collection, Four Points by Sheraton and W. Additional information is available on the Web at http://www.starwood.com.


As a global innovation leader, Nortel Networks enriches consumer and business communications worldwide by offering converged multimedia networks that eliminate the boundaries among voice, data and video. These networks use innovative packet, wireless, voice and optical technologies and are underpinned by high standards of security and reliability. For both carriers and enterprises, these networks help to drive increased profitability and productivity by reducing costs and enabling new business and consumer services opportunities. Nortel Networks does business in more than 150 countries. For more information, visit Nortel Networks on the Web at http://www.nortelnetworks.com.