DALLAS -- Nortel Networks* [NYSE: NT/TSE: NTL] announced its Symposium* Desktop TAPI Service Provider (SP) 2.0, scheduled for general availability on March 26, 1999. Nortel Networks' new Symposium Desktop TAPI 2.0 provides knowledge workers and informal call centers with a powerful and cost-effective interface to Microsoft TAPI 2.1. This permits Microsoft TAPI 2.1 compliant computer telephony integration (CTI) applications to monitor and intelligently control incoming and outgoing calls to telephone sets connected to Nortel Networks Meridian 1* communication system.

The new Symposium Desktop TAPI SP 2.0 is a 32-bit TAPI Service Provider Interface that is compatible with Microsoft's TAPI 2.1 on the Microsoft Windows 98 and Windows NT 4.0 operating systems. It is also compatible with Windows 95 systems equipped with Microsoft's TAPI 2.1. The Symposium Desktop TAPI SP 2.0 software is sold by itself in a variety of user license packages for Meridian 1 system users who already have a Meridian* Communications Adapter (MCA) and want to begin using the MCA and TAPI SP as a CTI enabler.

The Symposium Desktop TAPI SP 2.0 enables the use of off-the-shelf (CTI) solutions such as Microsoft's Outlook, Lotus Organizer, Nortel Networks' Symposium Call Manager software and dozens of other TAPI 2.1 compliant applications. This makes it possible to extend CTI support throughout an enterprise economically and with less complexity.

Nortel Networks also offers its customers a convenient method of purchasing a complete desktop CTI solution. For example, customers who have a phone but no MCA can purchase the Symposium TAPI MCA which is a CTI enabler and includes the MCA, the Symposium Desktop TAPI SP 2.0 software, the Symposium Call Manager 5.0 software, connector cable, and documentation. And customers who do not have a telephone can purchase one of three Symposium TAPI Phone packages that include a Meridian Modular Telephone set with no display and the Symposium TAPI MCA described above.

In addition, Nortel Networks has added the Symposium TAPI MCA Developer Toolkit to its list of products designed to help 3rd party developers create business solutions compatible with Nortel Networks Meridian 1 communication system. The new Symposium TAPI MCA Developer Toolkit contains a Symposium Desktop TAPI SP 2.0 CD that allows Microsoft TAPI 2.0/2.1 compliant applications to be developed and deployed on Windows 98, and Windows NT 4.0 workstations. The workstations can then monitor and intelligently control incoming and outgoing calls to your Nortel telephone set on a Meridian 1 system. This new toolkit consists of the MCA, the Symposium Desktop TAPI SP 2.0 software, RS-232 cable, developer's guides, and one hour of support.

The Symposium Desktop TAPI SP 2.0, Symposium TAPI MCA and Symposium TAPI Phone are available from authorized Nortel Networks Meridian 1 distributors. The Symposium TAPI MCA Developer Toolkit is available through Nortel Networks' Business Affiliates Program.

* Nortel Networks, the Nortel Networks Logo, Meridian, Meridian 1, Symposium, and How the world shares ideas are trademarks of Northern Telecom Limited. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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