2009 Workshop Sessions!

Want to see the Workshop lineup in a grid layout???  We've got snapshots you can access.  Please note: content and speakers are subject to change.

Sunday and Wednesday:  Click here

Monday:   Click here

Tuesday:  Click here

This year, workshops are 70 minutes; this means you get an extra 10 minutes to ask questions and get more information! (Speakers and some content is subject to change without notice)

Nortel Solutions

The Next Generation Communication Server 1000 – Release 6.0 Update presented by Gary Cattarin, Nortel

Communication Server (CS) 1000 Release 6.0 is the next release of software for the CS 1000 family of products and is a further evolution of the Enterprise Network to a converged IP based network. The CS 1000 Release 6.0 is a reliable and secure platform for VoIP communications and is designed to be a more open and simplified platform, which speeds deployment and improves manageability. Come here about the next major release of software that is:

  • Adaptable to meet current and future needs — Delivers investment protection and evolution path to next-generation multimedia communications
  • Superior IP Telephony experience — More open platform to take advantage of innovative applications, and feature-rich next generation clients
  • Improved reliability and security — Business continuity improvement from a reliable and secure environment
  • Simplified convergence solution — Product portfolio simplified for easier deployment, configuration and management

Nortel Product Life Cycle and Promotions presented by Nancy Norteman, Nortel

In this session, we will define the Nortel enterprise communication server and applications lifecycle processes, including the status of recently or soon-to-be Manufacture Discontinued (MD) and End Of Life (EOL) products. Attending this workshop will assist you and your organization in planning smooth technology migrations where necessary, and avoid any unpleasant surprises. A high level overview of Marketing Promotions available from your Nortel channel partners may also help pave the way for these investments.

E911 Emergency Services Solutions presented by Mark Fletcher, Nortel

Emergency calls occur everywhere in the world. In this workshop we will demonstrate how Emergency Services solutions can be deployed to enhance communications with both Public Safety as well as local on-site first responders. Primarily developed for the 911 market in North America, the Emergency Services Access capability was significantly expanded in Release 5.00 and 5.50. Learn and understand important features and capabilities such as local on-site notification for first responders, multiple emergency number recognition, emergency call misdial prevention, automatic location discovery for IP clients, built in multi-building and multi-site routing capabilities for both IP and TDM devices and much, much more. Regardless of local capabilities or regulations, learn how to protect your company from undue liabilities while providing the latest capabilities and emergency calling capabilities to your employees.

Healthcare and Higher Education: State of the Industries and Effective Use of Technology presented by Matt Konwiser, Nortel

Join Matt Konwiser from Nortel in a discussion about the significant changes occurring this year within Hospitals, Teaching Hospitals, and Universities. The session will focus on the proper implementation of technology and how it will help; mitigate risks of "cutting edge" capabilities, navigate legal and compliance issues, provide strong competitive advantage, and create revenue generation opportunities. Finally we'll explore why IT departments can and should be critical to your organization's overall strategic decisions. The discussion will be interactive with time dedicated for Q&A towards the end of the session.

Extending the Enterprise to the Mobile World presented by Mark Kerchoff, Ronco Communications

Mobility is expected in today's communications frameworks. Cellular phones are everywhere and now with smart phones delivering new capabilities and the future realities of Wi-Fi as an alternative wireless connection mobility has become mainstream. How do you take advantage of these developments? How can you contain spiraling mobile communication costs? How can you best integrate cellular devices with your converged enterprise infrastructures? This session will answer these questions and introduce new Mobility solutions from Nortel including – Mobile X and MC 3100.

Self-Service: Next Generation Interactive Communications Portal presented by Claire Fleece, Nortel

Nortel's software based Interactive Communications Portal (ICP) is the voice portal to YOUR business as the next generation self service multimedia platform. This session will look at how the Enterprise Transformation to IP has driven the innovation of Nortel’s Self-Service to completely open standards architecture. We will provide an overview of what Web Services are and how they can be used to reduce costs, improve development, and increase security, while allowing your organization to take advantage of a SOA approach to Self-Service. We’ll also discuss Contact Center integration through the use of web services to both Nortel and 3rd party switches.

Small Office/Branch Office Solutions presented by Greg Costanzo, Nortel

Come learn how Nortel can supercharge your branch or small business with the latest addition of the Business Communications Manager, the BCM450. The diverse communications capabilities of the Business Communications Manager combine voice, fax, e-mail, conferencing, message forwarding, and Intelligent Contact Center functionality to connect people quickly - enabling businesses to gain a competitive edge in an environment where speed, simplicity, and savings are integral to success.

Introducing Contact Center Release 7.0 presented by Jim Hall and Nancy Norteman, Nortel

This session will provide and overview of the next Contact Center release. Release 7.0 provides customers multiple deployment options including standard call center integration with Microsoft OCS applications. There are new features for call flow scripting (Service Creation Environment, SCE 2.0), enhanced resiliency and server recovery options, and new predictive dialing features. Learn how this new release can provide additional presence notification and tracking for the Contact Center Expert Agent environment. Additional discussion of how Web Services for the SOA and ACE can improve the data presence for the Contact Center Agent and improve customer satisfaction.

Data Networking Sessions

Architecting Resilient Networks: From Edge to Core presented by Ron Senna, Nortel

Today's networks support a variety of real-time applications, including voice and video that require the utmost in reliability. As a result, network uptime and failover under adverse conditions have become critical elements in planning Enterprise environments to ensure the survival of these and other business-critical applications. This workshop will concentrate on Nortel LAN architecture design and best practices, with emphasis on Terabit Clustering (Split-MLT), various link options, loop protection protocols, and power redundancy. Discussion will also include Nortel's approach to two and three-tier models and their application. This session is intended for anyone interested in designing a Nortel data network to its greatest potential.

Connect, Detect, Protect: Securing Networks presented by John Lucas, Nortel

As organizations embrace mobility and enterprises become more distributed, endpoint compliance and data center security has become more important in protecting networks against threats. Unsecured endpoints, unauthorized LAN and Mobile users, patching inefficiencies and mis-configuration open the door to malicious threats from viruses, worms and unwanted software. Let us show you how you can perform real-time policy based secure network access control, and delivers authentication, authorization and on-going policy enforcement, to give your organization a business advantage.

Preparing the Wireless LAN for Real-time Applications presented by Patrick Vaudo, Integration Partners Corporation (IPC)

For many businesses, the wireless LAN has provided new levels of mobility along with associated technical challenges. This technology has evolved from one of convenience to supporting mission-critical applications today. We will discuss a number of steps necessary to ensure a well-functioning network. These include coverage and capacity planning, surveying of the RF environment, fine tuning, and troubleshooting. We will also discuss wireless telephony and the unique requirements of its deploymentLearn more about WLANs and making them work in your Enterprise

Unified Communications

The What, Why, and How of Unified Communications presented by Gary Cattarin, Nortel

Unified Communications (UC) is the talk of the year, yet many are just beginning to explore it and the benefits it offers. A successful UC roadmap requires knowledge of the components and features of UC, an understanding of its business importance, and an awareness of the technology solutions available, using both existing as well as new platforms. This session will provide an overview of UC in general and of Nortel's offerings, and expand to discuss Communications Enabled Applications and Service Oriented Architecture, which offer an attainable way to build more effective business applications and significantly improve the way you do business. It will jump off from the preceding keynote and lead into subsequent sessions on vertical applications and UC deployment.

Preparing for Unified Communications presented by Doug Schlosser, Nortel

Planning, building, operating and maintaining a unified communications model brings many challenges; to ensure success, it is important to identify and understand the business case for these technologies — as well as their risks. Whatever the overall deployment strategy, there are a few prerequisites that must be met in both the IP domain and the voice network infrastructure if migration from a TDM environment to a unified communications solution is to be successful and cost-effective. This session will review some of the items to consider for deployment from a planning perspective including migration strategies, data infrastructure, security, application considerations.

Microsoft's OCS Release 2.0 presented by John Mazan, Time2Market/Shared Technologies

Please join Shared Technologies and Time2Market to gain a better understanding of how Microsoft Office Communications Server can deliver your organization the next generation of Unified Communications. Microsoft's unique software-based approach to business communications has enabled rapid innovation in Office Communications Server 2007 R2. This approach completely transforms the way organizations are thinking about business communications.  By attending this session you'll see demonstrations of the new: 

  • Console Attendant and Call Delegation 
  • Response Group Routing
  • Dial In Audio Conferencing 
  • Web Based Desktop Sharing 
  • SIP Trunking 
  • Speech Server and Windows Workflow for Call Centers Integration with Customer Relationship Management Systems

IP Telephony

Hard Phones, Soft Phones and next-Gen Systems presented by Stephen Leaden, Leaden Associates

The demise of the desk phone has been predicted for several years now, but there’s little evidence even of much of a decline in desk phone deployments. Will the economic downturn bring a reassessment of the 30–40% of a new system spend that’s devoted to desktop instruments? What’s the case for deploying a desk phone to non-customer-facing employees? In this session, we’ll debate whether budget cuts should finally force enterprises to revisit the expense of desk phones. We’ll also consider the features and functions that are most appealing in desk phones in this environment.

  • With some vendors bundling UC functionality with IP-PBXs, is it worthwhile to forgo hard phones altogether? 
  • What is the price/performance of the latest phone sets? Are vendors cutting prices to stimulate continued demand? What are the life cycle expectations for hard phones? 
  • Will the cost of vendor-proprietary desk phones drive increased adoption of: SIP phones? Softphones? Mobility features in call control platforms? 
  • What quality and security challenges need to be overcome before softphones/UC portals go more mainstream?

Mixed Environments: Nortel IP Over Other Data Infrastructure presented by Michael Oh, Heavy Water Ltd.

Infrastructures today are being required to support unified communications, this is Voice, Video-conferencing, Video on demand, IM, and Security. However in the real world the infrastructure is often a mixed environment, while the Nortel IP voice is the platform of choice for the NEARMUG attendees, data platform from edge switches, core switches, WAN routers, security equipment come from vendors such as Cisco, Juniper, Extreme, Foundry, HP, Enterasys and Nortel. This workshop is to educate on the industry standards to standardize the QoS and security across the platforms and to look at the specific capabilities of the data vendors in regard to the VoIP convergence environment. You will learn how each vendor look at clustering, redundancy and voice persistency, what the impact of failovers in terms of voice. We have worked with each platform and we will discuss real-world experience in implementing Nortel VoIP across the platforms.

Ensuring IP Voice Quality in Any Enterprise Environment with Proactive Voice Quality Management (PVQM) presented by Scott Hart, NetIQ

If you have deployed IP telephony or are about to and want to know the best way to ensure the highest level of service make sure you join this PVQM workshop! Like any application that resides on the network, once VoIP is deployed the job is far from done. It is necessary to keep on top of the VoIP environment to maximize uptime, reliability, quality and meet service levels.

The challenge faced by many Nortel voice customers is how to manage and report on voice quality over an often complex and heterogeneous infrastructure.

This workshop will focus on discussions around how PVQM can assess for IP Telephony readiness, assure Nortel IPT service availability, troubleshoot call quality issues in real-time, perform automated diagnostics and root cause analysis and provide meaningful reports that assist administrators with capacity planning, service level measurements and more.

You will learn and explore: 

  • How to provide real time measurement and reporting on QoS and user's "quality of experience" or QoE 
  • Tips on troubleshooting phone quality issues in an multi-vendor environment 
  • The top 10 reports every Nortel IP Telephony Manager needs 
  • Why proactive VoIP management is essential 
  • Best practices for monitoring IP telephony servers and VoIP networks 
  • How to extend PVQM into management of other Unified Communications components, such as Microsoft OCS

Communications Solutions

10 Secrets to Stretching Your Budget presented by Tim Barr, Telesource Services, LLC

In this session we talk about 10 strategies to cut both hard and soft dollar costs within the telecom budget. A recent Aberdeen study found that telecom costs average over 3% of corporate revenue, and as companies look for ways to reduce costs, the ability to lower telecom expenses becomes an effective way to impact corporate profitability. We will look at ten concepts to immediately reduce telecom expenses and stretch the telecom budget. Some ideas presented may seem obvious to some in the room, some ideas are not so obvious, and some may be completely new to you; however, all provide real dollar savings that can be implemented immediately to provide tangible savings.

Open Round Table Discussion (Birds of a Feather) moderated by Steve Napolitano, Federal Home Loan Bank Boston with Nancy Norteman, Nortel

Every Telecommunications professional job has their unique experiences which are forged day in - day out. At the same time, we face very similar concerns. This session will allow you an opportunity to discuss whatever is on your mind, and get advice from your peers. Share hard wins, soft sells, your best advice and experience on any topic you wish to share with like minded peers. You decide the discussion topic which can include anything such as: Cell Phone Policy, E-911 Compliance and Regulation, Auditing Telecommunications Invoices, Your Favorite Technical Resources and Websites, Morning Chores, Microsoft /Nortel Patching Policy, VOIP Performance Enhancements, Successful Unified Messaging Projects, Contract and Vendor Negotiation tips, Reducing Expenses, Outsourcing etc. You’ll walk away with tried solutions or (at least) general ideas. Additionally, we’ll be joined by Nancy Norteman who will assist with any Nortel specific questions.

Telephony Manager Station Administration 3.xx presented by Denise Conroy, Prizm Light

This seminar will describe selected station administration screens used within Telephony Manager. We’ll share tips and techniques such as:

  • basic and advanced searching
  • sync status
  • validate and transmit
  • sync tasks and logs
  • and reporting

Controlling and Reducing Telecom Costs in Today's Challenging Economy presented by Jon Giberson, CONNECTIONS

Our current economic situation requires that organizations look for any way to reduce costs. Is your company downsizing? Can you quickly delete services and recover assets when employees leave? Do you have tools that allow you to monitor and measure wireless and VoIP activity? With wireless costs now exceeding wireline, are you able to control devices, plans, vendors and costs - and remain compliant with IRS regulations.

We'll discuss various tools that are available for managing and controlling costs, monitoring and assessing networks, and assuring your company has the information needed to stay in compliance with HR, security and legal issues. Before you invest in an expensive TEM solution, or hire an outside auditor - learn about some budget-conscious solutions that can help you validate and verify all telecom services that you are paying for.

You will see examples of how reports from a call accounting system can benefit virtually all departments and how having an audit trail of all incoming and outgoing calls can protect your organization from liability and grievance claims.