Comprehensive Norstan Solution Upgrades Communication At City of Scottsdale.

Business Editors

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 18, 2000

A new $4 million Norstan solution has dramatically upgraded communications at the City of Scottsdale, Arizona for internal operations and the quality of services delivered to citizens. The solution, which combines voice, video and data, brings new technologies, software and products to some 30 city offices serving citizens.

"As we assessed our future growth it became clear that our then current telecommunications system had reached its capacity," said Carder Hunt, CIO of the City of Scottsdale. "We decided that we needed a common system that would provide the same applications to our employees and our citizens at both our main campuses and our remote sites spread across the 185 square miles of Scottsdale. After evaluating alternatives, we chose Norstan because it offered a complete solution to our needs, ensured a quality level of installation and service and positioned us to accommodate growth."

Norstan's solution includes two Siemens Information and Communication Networks HiCom 300E Model 80EPs at each of the city's main campuses and10 HiCom Model 30 EPs and 17 Remote Communications Modules at remote sites. These products are integrated with Scottsdale's ATM and TDM networks to ensure the same applications and services are available at all city offices. The solution includes a call center with automatic call distribution (ACD) to route calls to the nearest or appropriate Citizen Service Center and interactive voice response (IVR) for frequently asked questions. It also provides new Siemens Optiset E phones for voice and data communications and a VTel videoconferencing system featuring audio, video and data capabilities from personal computers. "The new system is already beginning to pay for itself through the elimination of telephone costs caused when our former system became overloaded," said Hunt. "It also gives us a solid platform from which we can easily expand service and add new applications in the future."

Scottsdale, Arizona is an economically strong, environmentally blessed city of 203,000 that covers 185 square miles. The city is growing at the rate of 12,000 new residents a year. New residents find an innovative, environmentally sensitive community and a values-oriented city staff committed to quality service and the quality of life.

Norstan (Nasdaq: NRRD) is a global leader in technology services providing information technology, convergence and communication system solutions to business clients worldwide. Headquartered in the Twin Cities, Norstan's sales and consulting service offices are located in 80 cities throughout North America and Europe. Through its operating units Norstan offers leading-edge technology products, world-class technology services and competitive financial offerings as a single-source provider. For more information, access the company's Web site at www.norstan.com

Norstan and associated product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of Norstan, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. All other products and services mentioned in this document may be trademarks of the companies with which they are associated.