Full Description

Nortel Networks Corporation (Nortel), incorporated on March 7, 2000, supplies end-to-end networking products and solutions that help organizations enhance and simplify communications. These organizations range from small businesses to multi-national corporations involved in all aspects of commercial and industrial activity, to federal, state and local government agencies and the military. They include cable operators, wireline and wireless telecommunications service providers, and Internet service providers. It designs, develops, engineers, markets, sells, supplies, licenses, installs, services and supports these networking solutions worldwide. It operates in four segments: Carrier Networks (CN), Enterprise Solutions (ES), Metro Ethernet Networks (MEN) and Global Services (GS). In March 2009, Radware Ltd. completed the acquisition of assets pertaining to Nortel's Layer 4-7 Application Delivery Business. In November 2009, Nortel Networks Corporation announced that its principal operating subsidiary Nortel Networks Limited, and certain of its other subsidiaries, including Nortel Networks Inc., have completed the sale of Nortel's CDMA Business and LTE Access assets to Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson.

On January 29, 2009, the Company announced that it had decided to discontinue its mobile WiMAX business and end its joint agreement with Alvarion Ltd. It focuses on Unified Communications, applications and carrier voice over Internet protocol (VoIP). On August 8, 2008, Nortel announced the acquisition of Pingtel Corp.'s business. Pingtel is a designer of software-based unified communications solutions and is owned by Bluesocket Inc., an enterprise mobility solutions provider. Under the terms of the agreement, Nortel will acquire the key assets of Pingtel from Bluesocket Inc. On August 19, 2008, Nortel announced that it had acquired Diamondware, Ltd., proximity-based, three-dimensional (3D) positional voice technology. On August 1, 2008, LG-Nortel acquired 100% of the issued and outstanding stock of Novera Optics Korea Inc. and Novera Optics, Inc. On August 8, 2008, LG-Nortel purchased certain assets and liabilities of LG Electronics, Inc.’s. Wireless Local Loop (WLL) business.

Carrier Networks

The Company offers wireline and wireless networks that help service providers and cable operators supply mobile voice, data and multimedia communications services to individuals and enterprises using cellular telephones, personal digital assistants, laptops, soft-clients, and other wireless computing and communications devices. It also offers circuit- and packet-based voice switching products that provide local, toll, long distance and international gateway capabilities for local and long distance telephone companies, wireless service providers, cable operators and other service providers. Its Carrier Networks segment focuses on supporting customers as they transition from circuit voice to converged Internet protocol (IP) networks and from 2G and 3G to 4G wireless networks. Its Carrier Networks portfolio includes 3G and 2.5G mobility networking solutions.

The Company competes with Ericsson, Alcatel-Lucent, Motorola, Samsung, Nokia Siemens Networks, Huawei, ZTE, Sonus and Cisco.

Enterprise Solutions

The Company provides enterprise communications solutions addressing the headquarters, branch and home office needs of large and small businesses globally across a variety of industries, including healthcare and financial service providers, retailers, manufacturers, utilities, educational institutions and government agencies. It offers Unified Communications solutions that help remove the barriers between voice, email, conferencing, video and instant messaging.

The Company competes with Cisco, Avaya, Alcatel-Lucent, Siemens Enterprise Communications and NEC.

Global Services

The Company provides a range of network services that help its customers focus on their core businesses. It supports a range of multi-vendor, multi-technology systems, including services to design, deploy, support and evolve networks. It offers solutions for contact centres, Unified Communications and telepresence systems, and a range of managed services. Its Global Services group offers a range of services, comprised of four service product groups: network implementation services, including network integration, planning, installation, optimization and security services; network support services, including technical support, hardware maintenance, equipment spares logistics and on-site engineers; network managed services, including services related to the monitoring and management of customer networks and hosted solutions, and network application services, including applications development, integration and communications-enabled application solutions

The Company competes with Ericsson, Nokia Siemens Networks, Alcatel-Lucent and Motorola in the carrier market, and Cisco, Avaya and Siemens Enterprise.

Metro Ethernet Networks

The Company’s MEN solutions are designed to deliver carrier-grade Ethernet transport capabilities focused on meeting customer needs for higher performance and lower cost for emerging video-intensive applications. The MEN portfolio includes optical networking, carrier Ethernet switching and multiservice switching products.

The Company competes with Alcatel-Lucent, Huawei, Nokia Siemens Networks, Fujitsu, Cisco, Ciena, ADVA, Tellabs and Infinera.