Avaya to Provide Blue Cross Blue Shield Massachusetts With Integrated Voice, Data and Distributed Call Center Functionality Over ATM Network.

Business Editors

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)

Oct. 9, 2000 Avaya (NYSE:AV), the former Enterprise Networks Group of Lucent Technologies, today announced that it has agreed to provide an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBSMA). The network will use Avaya's DEFINITY(R) ATM Solutions and Cajun(TM) Campus switches.

The new, high-speed ATM network will enable the company to centralize communications technology and management for seven locations in its new Boston headquarters, improving operational efficiency and reducing costs. BCBSMA will have distributed call center functionality, uniformly deploying Avaya's CRM solutions to all of its customer service locations. The network gives the company the framework for deploying converged voice, data and video applications.

"With our new headquarters, we wanted a network capable of supporting our business plans now and into the future," said Stephanie Browne, Director of Telecommunications for BCBSMA. "Avaya's ATM technology gives us the capacity to share voice and data communications on one network. We are building one huge network - eventually tearing down the walls and riding both voice and data over the same bandwidth."

"With the new system, we will only have to manage one database - we can standardize the technology in all sites," said Browne. "I don't have to worry about doing multiple installations or upgrades."

The core of the network, a single DEFINITY Enterprise Communications Server (ECS) with DEFINITY ATM Port Network Connectivity, will converge voice onto a ATM infrastructure and direct traffic to BCBSMA's 3,000 employees in its headquarters, customer service centers and regional offices. The server helps to further reduce costs by eliminating the need for a T1/E1 network.

From Boston, the network will distribute Avaya's CentreVu(R) Advocate and CentreVu(R) Call Management Systems (CMS) applications across all of its customer service locations -- simplifying technology management and lowering costs. CentreVu Advocate is Avaya's predictive, skills-based routing software that enables customer service organizations to handle a larger volume of calls with greater efficiency and effectiveness. CentreVu CMS helps customer service managers monitor call center performance with real-time and historical reporting.

"We deployed CentreVu Advocate in one of our call centers last fall and we have achieved an overall improvement in our service levels, said Browne. "With the new system, we can easily deliver Advocate to all of our locations."

A second DEFINITY server, located in the Quincy customer service center, will mirror the headquarters server and ensure that the network remains completely operational in case of a power failure at the Boston location.

The DEFINITY system's highly flexible control interface and switch fabric architecture is designed to allow the server to evolve to support new technology. With the addition of ATM Services Card and software, the DEFNITY ECS can consolidate voice, video and data from multiple sites to a single ATM campus backbone and wide area network. The Cajun M770 is a modular, enterprise-class platform designed specifically to provide the reliability required for the convergence of voice, data and video into a common infrastructure, and features it unique Switch Architecture for Extreme Resiliency (SAFER(TM)) that distributes critical switching, management and processing functions.

About Avaya

Avaya, formerly the Enterprise Networks Group of Lucent Technologies, headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., USA, is a leading provider of communications systems for enterprises, including businesses, government agencies and other organizations. Avaya offers converged voice and data, customer relationship management, messaging, voice multi-service networking and structured cabling products and services. Avaya is a worldwide leader in sales of messaging and structured cabling systems and a U.S. leader in sales of enterprise voice communications and call center systems. Avaya intends to use its leadership positions in enterprise communications systems and software, its broad portfolio of products and services, and strategic alliances with other technology and consulting services leaders to offer its customers comprehensive eBusiness solutions. For more information about Avaya, visit its Web site at http://www.avaya.com.

About Blue Cross Blue Shield Massachusetts

With more than two million members, BCBSMA is the largest and fastest growing HMO and health insurance company in New England. For 1999, BCBSMA posted a net gain of $61.3 million. For the second quarter of 2000, the company posted a $12 million operating gain and achieved its 12th consecutive quarter of positive financial performance with a net gain of $30 million. With member satisfaction at a high of 90 percent, and health care provider satisfaction at 84 percent, BCBSMA has become the choice for health care consumers seeking affordable, reliable, and high quality health care coverage.