Alcatel Personal Wireless Telephony Coverage Tool Reduces Complexities of Deploying On-Site Mobility Solutions; Chicago International Produce Market, an Example of Mobility at Work.

Business Editors

CALABASAS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 8, 2003

Alcatel (NYSE:ALA) today announced a Personal Wireless Telephony (PWT) Coverage Tool promotion for business partners to use this cost-effective site survey tool for the Alcatel 4073 PWT Wireless Telephone System. Using this tool, business partners can obtain detailed coverage analysis to aid the deployment of a reliable wireless solution for the Alcatel OmniPCX Enterprise IP-PBX.

According to Tom Eggemeier, vice president of channels for Alcatel North America enterprise business, "There is a growing interest from companies with highly mobile employees such as manufacturing companies and healthcare institutions for indoor wireless solutions such as the Alcatel PWT wireless phone. To help business partners deliver a positive experience to these customers, Alcatel is offering the PWT coverage tool at a promotional rate to encourage proper coverage planning for successful deployment of the Alcatel wireless phones."

Equipped with fully integrated roaming and handover capabilities, the Alcatel wireless phone provides users with access to corporate-level telephony features regardless of their location on the campus or anywhere across the enterprise network. Enhanced mobility can significantly improve customer service and employee productivity. Such is the case for the Chicago International Produce Market, one of the largest and most modern produce markets in the nation.

More than 100 Alcatel wireless phones have been deployed in the loading and unloading, storage, and administrative areas of the Chicago International Produce Market's sprawling 450,000-square-foot facility. "We discovered that a wireless deployment is more complex than a wired deployment because it deals with physical environmental factors. Alcatel's coverage study provided useful information on the number of base stations needed and where to place these base stations," said Pete Langas, president, IPiphany, an IT consulting firm for the Chicago International Produce Market.

Compared to cellular phones that provide inconsistent reception within large enclosed spaces, the Alcatel wireless phones provide business value because they are highly reliable and because businesses can eliminate cell-phone charges. In cutting down cellular usage and consolidating calls onto an Alcatel OmniPCX Enterprise IP-PBX, the merchants at the Chicago International Produce Market can better manage their telecommunication costs.

Most importantly, employees are able to take calls wirelessly regardless of their location in the Chicago International Produce Market. No important sales orders will be lost because the salesperson is not at his/her desk since both their Alcatel desktop phone and wireless phone are designed to ring at the same time when a call comes in. The foreman can be notified immediately if there was a last-minute request by a customer to add another order that is already on the loading dock.

PWT is the name of a standard specified by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission for in-building wireless systems.

Pricing and Availability

The Alcatel PWT Coverage Tool consists of a briefcase outfitted with Alcatel PWT wireless test phones and a signal generator. The tool is now available to Alcatel Business Partners at a promotional price of $4,846.45 - 65% off the U.S. list price - through December 31, 2003 on the Alcatel Business Partner website, http://www.alcatelbusinesspartner.com

About Alcatel enterprise networking solutions

Alcatel delivers standards-based IP communications solutions to a global customer base of more than 500,000 small, medium and large enterprises, government agencies, healthcare facilities, and educational institutions. Alcatel's award-winning Omni family of IP Communications solutions consists of an extensive portfolio of network switching infrastructure products and IP telephony products built to provide long-term value.

About Alcatel

Alcatel provides end-to-end communications solutions, enabling carriers, service providers and enterprises to deliver content to any type of user, anywhere in the world. Leveraging its long-term leadership in telecommunications network equipment as well as its expertise in applications and network services, Alcatel enables its customers to focus on optimizing their service offerings and revenue streams. With sales of $15.5 billion in 2002, Alcatel operates in more than 130 countries. For more information, visit Alcatel on the Internet: http://www.alcatel.com.