RMIT University Stays Ahead of Technology Curve With Education Solution From Nortel

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA, Feb 18 (MARKET WIRE) --
RMIT University, one of Australia's leading educational institutions, is
laying the foundation for a multi-million dollar, campus-wide unified
communications and multimedia network to serve more than 3,500 staff and
60,000 students using an innovative education technology solution from
Nortel(1) (TSX: NT)(NYSE: NT).

Early benefits to RMIT University will include phone number portability
to keep staff connected regardless of location on campus; integration
with desktop 'soft phones' to make communication possible without
physical handsets; and anytime, anywhere voice and video conferencing
from desktop and laptop computers.

RMIT University is also running trials of Nortel's Multimedia
Communications Server (MCS) with an eye toward future implementation of
advanced services such as desktop video conferencing and unified
communications. Nortel and Platinum channel partner Commander Australia
are jointly managing network design and implementation.

The new network will be rolled out in phases over the next two years,
with the first phase - deployment of 5,000 Nortel IP telephony handsets
to the University's faculty and administration staff - already underway.

"The overall investment includes upgrading the network infrastructure,
various campus facilities and other related services. Our aim with this
project is to keep the University well ahead of the curve for the new
generation of technology savvy students and to support innovation in
teaching, learning and research," says Allan Morris, executive director,
IT Services, RMIT University.

"With regards to the network component of this upgrade, what we were not
just looking at the technology, but the application of the technology,
especially how it can change the delivery model for teaching and
research," Morris said. "For example, we're currently trialing Nortel's
MCS unified communications product to determine the impact of
click-to-call and instant desktop messaging on staff working across
multiple decentralised campuses, and how it might change the way they
work. Just like e-mail changed behaviour in the workplace, we are keen to
see the effects that collaboration, presence and other technologies can
have on workplace behaviour and productivity, and what new opportunities
they present."

"Large, distributed organisations like RMIT University are not in the
market for off-the-shelf solutions," said Mark Stevens, managing
director, Australia and New Zealand, Nortel. "With ever increasing
demands from technology savvy users that expect any device that can
connect to a network to be connected and available 24/7, a trend we call
Hyperconnectivity, Nortel makes these networks more cost-effective to
deploy and easier to manage."

"At the same time the sheer scale of this rollout calls for products that
have been shown to successfully scale to the volume of users and network
traffic this environment will undoubtedly generate," Stevens said. "The
challenge for Nortel is to simplify the network to the point where the
evolution of an IP communications network to unified communications is
completely transparent to the user."

RMIT University went to tender to upgrade its complete telephony network
and short-listed two vendors for the contract. Nortel was chosen for its
strong local presence and support network in Australia and the depth of
its installed customer base.

The new network will be built around Nortel's flagship Communication
Server (CS) 1000 IP PBX serving 7,000 endpoints and 5,000 Nortel 1140e IP
handsets. The CS 1000s will be installed across RMIT University's three
main campuses. Other components will include Nortel's MCS 5100 for
multimedia conferencing and Nortel Contact Center 6.0 for an IP-based
help desk infrastructure. Nortel will also provide maintenance,
integration and network optimization from the Nortel Global Services
portfolio.

The RMIT University network is an example of how Nortel is transforming
the educational environment with innovations in unified communications,
advanced security and wireless mobility designed to enhance collaboration
and enrich the learning experience. Nortel Education Solutions provide
secure access to campus resources and enhanced student, faculty and staff
interaction using advanced multimedia applications delivered over
converged IP networks. Recent education wins for Nortel in Asia include
the Macquarie University, VERNet and the University of Western Sydney in
Australia, the University of Tsukuba in Japan and the China University of
Petroleum.

About Nortel

Nortel is a recognized leader in delivering communications capabilities
that make the promise of Business Made Simple a reality for our
customers. Our next-generation technologies, for both service provider
and enterprise networks, support multimedia and business-critical
applications. Nortel's technologies are designed to help eliminate
today's barriers to efficiency, speed and performance by simplifying
networks and connecting people to the information they need, when they
need it. Nortel does business in more than 150 countries around the
world. For more information, visit Nortel on the Web at www.nortel.com.
For the latest Nortel news, visit www.nortel.com/news.

Certain statements in this press release may contain words such as
"could", "expects", "may", "anticipates", "believes", "intends",
"estimates", "targets", "envisions", "seeks" and other similar language
and are considered forward-looking statements or information under
applicable securities legislation. These statements are based on Nortel's
current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about the
operating environment, economies and markets in which Nortel operates.
These statements are subject to important assumptions, risks and
uncertainties, which are difficult to predict and the actual outcome may
be materially different from those contemplated in forward-looking
statements. For additional information with respect to certain of these
and other factors, see Nortel's Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly
Reports on Form 10-Q and other securities filings with the SEC. Unless
otherwise required by applicable securities laws, Nortel disclaims any
intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking
statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or
otherwise.

(1)Nortel, the Nortel logo and the Globemark are trademarks of Nortel
Networks.

Use of the terms "partner" and "partnership" does not imply a legal
partnership between Nortel and any other party.

Contacts:
Nortel
Lorraine Cowper
+61 2 8870 5625
Email: lorraico@nortel.com
Website: www.nortel.com

Watterson Marketing Communications
Guy Lerner
+61 2 9929 7533
Email: guy.lerner@watterson.com.au

Copyright 2008, Market Wire, All rights reserved.

-0-