SSA Taps Nortel to Lead Telephone Systems Replacement Project

The contract – valued at up to $300 million – calls for replacement of SSA’s existing worldwide telephone systems with Internet protocol (IP) technology to create a converged voice and data network.

“The network will enable a high-quality citizen service experience through service delivery points designed by Nortel Government Solutions to accommodate an anticipated influx of new users, including retiring, largely Internet-savvy 'baby boomers,'” Nortel explained in a news release.

According to Nortel, the SSA network is expected to be one of the world's largest enterprise voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP) implementations. It will replace existing telephone systems in nearly 1,600 SSA field offices and will include a 55,000-agent contact center with carrier-class unified messaging and comprehensive interactive voice response (IVR) capabilities.

According to Nortel, the network also will provide extensive security capabilities to protect citizen information and support for disabled users in compliance with federal regulations.

The Nortel Government Solutions team will provide VoIP hardware, software, integration and deployment services for SSA regional offices, program service centers and field offices. Network operation services, user support and training also are included in the contract.

“Drawing from Nortel’s comprehensive portfolio of enterprise and service provider VoIP solutions gave us the ability to offer the best solution for a customer and a network of this magnitude,” Nortel Government Solutions CEO Chuck Saffell said.

According to Nortel, moving to a converged voice and data network will enable SSA to expand and improve service levels, consolidate monthly recurring public network service costs and decrease operating and maintenance costs while establishing a platform to support future applications and services.

The Nortel Government Solutions team includes General Dynamics, Black Box Network Services, Shared Technologies, AT&T, York Telecom, High Wire Networks, NetIQ and Pal-Tech.