Nordia Deploys Nortel Contact Center Solution With Features for the De

    Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

    TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 23, 2005--Nordia Inc., a leading Canadian provider of world-class customer relationship management solutions, has deployed enhanced IP (Internet Protocol) contact center solutions from Nortel (NYSE:NT)(TSX:NT) to extend to its customers telecommunications relay service for the deaf, hard-of-hearing and speech impaired.
    Relay service makes it possible for these individuals to communicate with others by telephone, radio, or Internet connection. It transcribes conversation into text, video or other media as appropriate.
    "Our customers have overcome profound barriers to communication and it's our goal to ensure that their achievements are not limited in any way when it comes to communicating via electronic media," said Paulette Beaudry-Klug, president and chief executive officer, Nordia. "We are focused on ensuring that this segment of our customers' base have their needs met without compromise."
    "We selected Nortel because of its proven track record in deploying contact center solutions," Beaudry-Klug said. "Nortel's solution is a key component in managing the new American Relay Service which became operational in December 2004."
    Nordia also manages a variety of mandates for a Canadian telecommunication company and for private corporations in recreational, financial services and pharmaceutical markets.
    "Our work with Nordia underscores Nortel's commitment to enhance the human experience," said Malcolm Collins, president, Enterprise Networks, Nortel. "Providing Nordia with innovative technology that allows people to communicate effectively regardless of their situation is profoundly rewarding. Together, we're working to meet the specialized needs of those with hearing and speech impairments and to enhance their overall communications experience."
    Using Nortel's Symposium Call Center Server and Computer Telephony Integration (CTI), Nordia is providing relay services that include Web relay, three-way calling and conference calls as well as regular speech-to-speech (STS) and video relay. Nordia expects to handle approximately 1.9 million calls across all modalities in 2005.
    Nortel is a leading supplier of advanced speech applications with more than 200 speech applications deployed in 16 countries and 15 languages.
    Nortel recently received the Frost & Sullivan 2004 Speech Solutions Competitive Strategy Award; the Frost & Sullivan 2004 Award for Market Leadership (U.S. Integrated Voice Response (IVR) market); and the Frost & Sullivan 2004 Award for Best Bang for the Buck (EMEA Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) market) for its accomplishments in deploying speech technologies for enterprises.
    Technology Marketing Corporation (TMC(R))'s Customer Inter@ction Solutions(R) magazine also gave Nortel's Symposium Call Center Server the 2004 Product of the Year Award.
    Over the past 30 years, Nortel has deployed more than 40,000 contact centers and 8,000 self-service solutions worldwide. Nortel contact center solutions support an estimated four million agents handling 68 million calls per day. Nortel was #1 in market share for total contact center systems shipped in the United States for the first half of 2004, according to InfoTech, and in Canada for 2003, according to NBI/Michael Sone.

    About Nordia, Inc.

    Nordia is a leading Canadian-based world-class provider of quality customer relationship management solutions. Established in 1999, Nordia employs more than 1,700 employees and has six customer contact centres. The company was awarded a Customer Operation Performance Centre (COPC) quality accreditation for all inbound service offerings simultaneously in all of its centres in 2003 and was recertified in 2004. Nordia's call management solutions include Canadian and U.S. directory assistance, teleconference services, relay services and wireless activation. As an outsourcer, Nordia also develops custom solutions and provides its clients with proven innovative solutions designed to optimize how they do business. For more information, please visit www.nordia.ca and www.myrelay.com.

    About Nortel

    Nortel is a recognized leader in delivering communications capabilities that enhance the human experience, ignite and power global commerce, and secure and protect the world's most critical information. Serving both service provider and enterprise customers, Nortel delivers innovative technology solutions encompassing end-to-end broadband, Voice over IP, multimedia services and applications, and wireless broadband designed to help people solve the world's greatest challenges. Nortel does business in more than 150 countries. For more information, visit Nortel on the Web at www.nortel.com. For the latest Nortel news, visit www.nortel.com/news.

    Certain information included in this press release is forward-looking and is subject to important risks and uncertainties. The results or events predicted in these statements may differ materially from actual results or events.
    Factors which could cause results or events to differ from current expectations include, among other things: the outcome of regulatory and criminal investigations and civil litigation actions related to Nortel's restatements and the impact any resulting legal judgments, settlements, penalties and expenses could have on Nortel's results of operations, financial condition and liquidity; the findings of Nortel's independent review and implementation of recommended remedial measures; the outcome of the independent review with respect to revenues for specific identified transactions, which review will have a particular emphasis on the underlying conduct that led to the initial recognition of these revenues; the restatement or revisions of Nortel's previously announced or filed financial results and resulting negative publicity; the existence of material weaknesses in Nortel's internal controls over financial reporting; the impact of Nortel's and NNL's failure to timely file their financial statements and related periodic reports, including breach of its support facility and public debt obligations and Nortel's inability to access its shelf registration statement filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"); ongoing SEC reviews, which may result in changes to our public filings; the potential delisting or suspension of Nortel's and NNL's publicly traded securities; the impact of management changes, including the termination for cause of Nortel's former CEO, CFO and Controller in April 2004; the sufficiency of Nortel's restructuring activities, including the work plan announced on August 19, 2004 as updated on September 30, 2004, including the potential for higher actual costs to be incurred in connection with restructuring actions compared to the estimated costs of such actions;
    cautious or reduced spending by Nortel's customers; fluctuations in Nortel's operating results and general industry, economic and market conditions and growth rates; fluctuations in Nortel's cash flow, level of outstanding debt and current debt ratings; Nortel's ability to recruit and retain qualified employees; the use of cash collateral to support Nortel's normal course business activities; the dependence on Nortel's subsidiaries for funding; the impact of Nortel's defined benefit plans and deferred tax assets on results of operations and Nortel's cash flow; the adverse resolution of class actions, litigation in the ordinary course of business, intellectual property disputes and similar matters; Nortel's dependence on new product development and its ability to predict market demand for particular products; Nortel's ability to integrate the operations and technologies of acquired businesses in an effective manner; the impact of rapid technological and market change; the impact of price and product competition; barriers to international growth and global economic conditions, particularly in emerging markets and including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of rationalization in the telecommunications industry; changes in regulation of the Internet; the impact of the credit risks of Nortel's customers and the impact of customer financing and commitments; stock market volatility generally and as a result of acceleration of the settlement date or early settlement, which is currently not available, of Nortel's forward purchase contracts; the impact of Nortel's supply and outsourcing contracts that contain delivery and installation provisions, which, if not met, could result in the payment of substantial penalties or liquidated damages; and the future success of Nortel's strategic alliances.
    For additional information with respect to certain of these and other factors, see the most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed by Nortel with the SEC. Unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws, Nortel disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

    Nortel, the Nortel logo, the Globemark and Symposium are trademarks of Nortel Networks.

--30--MJR/da*

CONTACT: Nortel Jennifer McClain, 972-684-4844 email: jmcclain@nortel.com

KEYWORD: TEXAS INTERNATIONAL CANADA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: MEDICAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS SOFTWARE NETWORKING HARDWARE PRODUCT MARKETING AGREEMENTS SOURCE: Nortel

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