BT and NBTel Global Join Forces to Share Government Online Experiences - Company Business and Marketing

Cambridge Telcom Report, August 2, 1999

BT and NBTel Global has announced a move to share best practice and knowledge in government online services and technology across the Atlantic. The agreement enables BT to access NBTel Global's intellectual property for government online applications, professional consulting and business development services, and research and testing facilities enabled by NBTel Global's state-of-the-art LivingLAB innovations environment.

This collaboration will allow BT Local & Regional Government to tap into NBTel Global's government online experience to help local authorities in the UK move towards meeting Prime Minister Tony Blair's aim to have over 25 per cent of government transactions with citizens electronically performed by the year 2002.

Erik MacEachern, BT Local & Regional Government's Business Development Manager, commented: "NBTel Global has demonstrated an effective and innovative approach to development of government online services which has proved very successful. Together we can introduce new technologies in the UK which will benefit both local authorities and the public alike. BT is dedicated to providing leading-edge services to our government customers and this is a solid demonstration of that commitment."

NBTel Global has been working with the province for over 10 years to develop these technologies through Service New Brunswick. Bob Neal, vice president of emerging business with Aliant, NBTel Global's parent company, said this new business relationship is a true model of the LivingLAB environment, where a product is researched and developed in New Brunswick first then exported to global markets.

"Our work with the province of New Brunswick has allowed us to do this and we're pleased to be sharing these advanced government services with our industry colleagues in the United Kingdom," said Mr. Neal. "BT represents NBTel Global's first dealing in Europe, and it brings great opportunity with its expertise in global markets, a customer base of 58 million, and a spirit of innovation we share and admire."

BT Local & Regional Government is one of the UK's leading providers of information communications technology for government. It works in partnership with all the local authorities in the country to provide tailored solutions to meet their communities' particular needs, from call centres, internet and intranet services to telephone voting - a total communications partner.

NBTel Global develops and markets electronic service delivery software solutions for carriers and enterprise clients. Its people share their knowledge by way of business consulting, applications licensing, intellectual property sales and professional services contracts for development and support. NBTel Global is a wholly owned subsidiary of Aliant.

With offices throughout Canada and the United States, Aliant (TSE:AIT - news) delivers expertise in the areas of local, long-distance, wireless, data, Internet, information technology, managed network services, and mobile satellite communications. Its customers include public and private enterprises, governments, businesses and consumers. Aliant's structure includes four lines of business: telecommunications, information technology, mobile satellite services, and emerging business. (www.aliant.ca).