Johannesburg, 15 Feb 2006
When the Torino Olympic Winter Games get under way next month, NBC Olympics will use an Avaya IP telephony solution to provide communication capabilities linking the International Broadcast Centre and NBC`s Field Shop with sports venues in Torino, Italy, NBC Olympics headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut, and NBC Studios at 30 Rockefeller Centre in New York, New York.
"There simply aren`t any `do overs` when you`re covering the Games," said Bob Kiraly, Director, Broadcast and Telecommunications Operations, NBC Olympics. "As a result, solutions must be engineered to critical reliability standards. Avaya delivers on that front with redundant processors, fail-over options, systems and software that are designed to keep our operations up and running even if the unexpected happens."
This is the fourth consecutive Olympics Games at which Avaya (NYSE:AV), a global leader in business communications applications, systems and services, has provided services to NBC. Under a contract that began with the 2000 Games in Sydney, Australia, the company has provided NBC Olympics with the uninterrupted communication capabilities it needs as its staffers travel the globe to cover the biennial event. For the Torino Olympic Winter Games, Avaya upgraded the NBC Olympics network to the latest version of the industry-leading Communication Manager software - as well as a new highly scalable Modular Messaging application that makes voice and fax messages accessible from any phone, fax machine or PC.
The software is hosted on highly reliable servers and gateways, including an S8700 Media Server and a new S8500 Media Server in the Field Shop that replaces a former Avaya ProLogix system. Since Avaya solutions are built for investment protection, ProLogix circuit packs owned by NBC Olympics are reused in the new S8500.
Members of the NBC Olympics broadcast team will be able to stay in touch regardless of where they travel thanks to the Avaya Extension to Cellular application, which enables calls made to a network extension to ring simultaneously on a cellphone so workers on the go can be reached through a single number.
System reliability is reinforced by Avaya EXPERT SystemsSM Diagnostic Tools that remotely monitor and maintain the network. Avaya uses these patented tools to monitor and repair thousands of business communications systems remotely - resolving 96% of all system alarms without a technician`s intervention and saving customers millions of dollars a year.
As an additional fail-safe, Avaya`s Global Services team provides NBC Olympics with a single point of contact for around-the-clock service and support, including dedicated onsite field technicians. To speed onsite setup in Italy, NBC Olympics pre-configured and rack mounted the Avaya S8700 Media Server to simplify shipping and installation. As a result, it can be installed, up and running in less than 30 minutes after it is un-crated and powered up.
Share