Texas School District Deploys NEC Converged IP Network

Business Wire, Sept 9, 2002

Business Editors & High-Tech Writers

IRVING, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 9, 2002

BlueFire(R) IP Switches and NEAX(R) 2000 Internet Protocol Server

(IPS) Enhance Data and Voice Communications for Little Elm ISD

NEC America, Inc. (NEC) has announced that the Little Elm Independent School District (LEISD) in suburban Dallas has deployed NEC's end-to-end IP network platform to handle voice and data communications.

The system includes NEC's BlueFire(R) 720 Multilayer and 200/24 IP switches along with the company's NEAX(R) 2000 Internet Protocol Server (IPS) voice platform and Dterm(R) IP telephones. Little Elm expects to leverage IP technology to improve communication among faculty, administration and parents, as well as improve efficiency and reduce network management costs. In addition, NEC's end-to-end IP network provides a solid migration path that enables the District to adopt new technologies as they become available, using their existing infrastructure.

"Like Little Elm, many new school districts throughout the country are exploring IP networking as a real option in delivering new communications technologies, while at the same time, managing costs," explained Shane Hashimoto, vice president and general manager for NEC America's IP Network Division. "We are seeing a significant growth in the education market because school administrators understand that NEC's proven migration strategy and reliability will allow them to move to new technology when they need to, without disrupting the reliability and functionality they depend upon."

Located in one of the fastest-growing areas of the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex, Little Elm led Texas cities in population growth last year with a 46% increase. As expected, the LEISD is experiencing proportional expansion. "With this kind of growth, we are looking at adding students and hence facilities and staff at a very rapid pace," said Dr. Linda Monaco, Superintendent of LEISD. "We must have a communications system that allows our outstanding administrative team and staff to continue to enhance our educational environment while accommodating the changes generated by this tremendous growth."

Among the primary factors Dr. Monaco and her staff faced in selecting a new communications network were cost savings and safety. According to Leon Elsbecker, LEISD technology director, Little Elm calculated its return on this investment to be three and one half years, significantly lower than competing solutions.

In addition, the District was impressed with NEC's Peaceable Schools(R) program, which bundles a number of safety solutions, such as E911 applications, wireless connectivity and telephones in each classroom. NEC's IP telephony solution supports this initiative by enabling the school to connect IP phones and computers in each classroom via a single Ethernet cable drop, avoiding a major upgrade to the wiring infrastructure. Additionally, Peaceable Schools technology also enhances the education process by fostering communication among parents, faculty and staff via the posting of grades and assignments on voice mail.

"NEC's NEAX 2000 IPS and the BlueFire-based infrastructure offer an ideal solution for the kind of expansion Little Elm is expecting," said Ken Newell, President of DFW Business Telephones, Inc., the 16-year NEC authorized dealer that supplied the new network to LEISD. "The NEAX 2000 IPS is extremely full-featured and yet is very easy to network, providing seamless connectivity throughout Little Elm's geographically diverse environment."

Editors Note: For additional information on NEC's Corporate Networks Group and its products, please consult the World Wide Web at http://www.cng.nec.com.

About NEC America, Inc.

NEC America, Inc., an affiliate of NEC Corporation (Nasdaq:NIPNY), develops and markets a complete line of advanced communications products and software for public and private networks, including digital key telephone and PBX systems; IP telephony solutions; wireless communications; IP routing and switching products; ATM switching systems; facsimile equipment; fiber optic transmission systems; digital microwave radio, satellite communications and network management systems. For more information about NEC telecommunication solutions for the enterprise market, visit www.cng.nec.com.