Communications Solution from Avaya, Extreme Networks and Imagine Technologies Delivers Connectivity to Keep the 2005 U.S. Women's Open on the Fairway

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., June 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- When more than 100,000 spectators descend on Cherry Hills Country Club in Denver, Colo. June 23-26 for the historic 60th U.S. Women's Open Championship, a voice and data solution from Avaya and Extreme Networks will help the United States Golf Association (USGA) manage the sprawling event.

The network will support the small village springing to life for the championship, with 156 players, 2,800 volunteers, journalists and broadcasters from around the globe, and dozens of tents and trailers to house concession stands, gift shops and championship offices.

The Avaya-Extreme solution for the Women's Open was designed, sold and installed by Colorado-headquartered Imagine Technologies, recently recognized by Avaya's largest distributor with the 2005 Growth Award in sales and installation of Avaya solutions for small and medium businesses.

"We selected Avaya-Extreme because they offered us a tightly integrated converged voice and data solution that allowed us to quickly connect the trailers and tents across the course and keep everyone better connected-backed by the comprehensive service and support that Imagine Technologies provides," said Jeff Ewing, director of operations for Bruno Event Team, the organization managing the championship for the USGA. "We expect easier access to communications to translate into smoother operations and ultimately a better experience for all involved."

The new IP-based network replaces a business-grade telecommunications service previously used by the U.S. Women's Open. Now three Avaya IP Office systems -- a high-performance voice and data server specifically designed for small- to mid-sized companies -- are linked via Internet protocol (IP) trunking to form a small community network. As a result, vendors, volunteers and staff can use four-digit dialing to stay in touch, share voice mail and quickly clear the many credit card purchases made by spectators while on the course. The same network provides telephony capabilities for the global media delegation covering the championship, giving them a convenient way to reach producers, editors and colleagues.

Features include an auto-attendant function to provide callers with a quick and easy way to reach the appropriate party. New "hunt group" capabilities allow the championship to establish call coverage paths so critical calls don't go unanswered. In addition, with the "call forward to cell phone feature" of IP Office, key personnel can be reached through a single office number, even when they are on the course or away from the championship venue.

With the addition of Extreme Networks' Summit(R) 200 and 300 switching solutions, the U.S. Women's Open will have the high-speed wired and wireless data connectivity it needs to support the dozens of reporters covering the event. Using laptop computers, they will be able to file stories and upload photos from the championship's Media Center. In addition, the U.S. Women's Open will provide connectivity for vendors needing to order food or merchandise for spectators.

The Summit 300 offers industry-leading versatility for converged networks. This switching solution offers a solid foundation of performance, security, availability and management capabilities. By integrating Power over Ethernet (PoE) with wireless LAN capabilities and advanced Layer 3 features, the Summit 300 can power devices such as IP phones, surveillance cameras and badge readers.

About Avaya

Avaya Inc. designs, builds and manages communications networks for more than 1 million businesses worldwide, including over 90 percent of the FORTUNE 500(R). Focused on businesses large to small, Avaya is a world leader in secure and reliable Internet Protocol (IP) telephony systems and communications software applications and services.

Driving the convergence of voice and data communications with business applications -- and distinguished by comprehensive worldwide services -- Avaya helps customers leverage existing and new networks to achieve superior business results. For more information visit the Avaya website: http://www.avaya.com/.

About Extreme Networks

Extreme Networks is a leader in open converged networks. Its innovative network architecture provides enterprises and metro service providers with the resiliency, adaptability and simplicity required for a true converged network that supports voice, video and data, over a wired and wireless infrastructure, while delivering high-performance and advanced security features. For more information, please visit http://www.extremenetworks.com/.

About Imagine Technologies Inc.

With headquarters in Colorado and offices in Texas, Idaho and Arkansas, Imagine Technologies delivers innovative converged networks using best in class products from manufacturers such as Avaya and Extreme. Its voice and data communication solutions help businesses compete more effectively in the marketplace by reducing costs and increasing productivity, and its highly experienced project teams follow best practice methodologies in the delivery of our solutions. Imagine focuses on earning the trust of its clients as a business partner upon which they can depend. For more information visit Imagine's website at http://www.imaginetechnologiesinc.com/ or contact Paula Morton at paula@imaginetechnologiesinc.com.

Extreme Networks and Summit are registered trademarks of Extreme Networks, Inc. in the United States and other countries.