Network Equipment Technologies (NET) and BT (News - Alert) have launched a strategic initiative to significantly simplify the deployment and installation of Microsoft (News - Alert) Lync 2010. The companies are targeting to cut the time required for service providers and large enterprises to deploy advanced unified communications (UC) solutions.

BT will use NET’s (News - Alert) UX Series platform to offer best-of-breed managed and professional solutions that add value to on-premise enterprise application systems. The initiative between NET and BT will enhance BT’s existing global Managed Lync services offering -- part of the BT One portfolio.

NET’s Unified Exchange (UX) Series high performance mediation platform is based on a modular 1U platform, which is a purpose-built for unified communications and enterprise session border controller applications.

UX Series eradicates the need to buy separate infrastructure components such as a PSTN gateway, session border controller, and application server. Hence, the UX Series save reduce both capital and operational expenses. The UX Series is qualified as an enterprise Survivable Branch Appliance for Microsoft Lync 2010.

In a press release, Matthew Krueger, vice president of Business Development at NET, said, “Businesses are seeking ways to reduce costs, increase productivity, and improve customer service. Being able to communicate and collaborate with anyone at any time, whether you are using phone, e-mail, application sharing, messaging or conferencing is key to achieving these goals. The combined BT and NET solution offers customers an innovative option to the challenge of deploying UC and cloud-based managed services.”

Randy Schrock, vice president of Corporate Alliances at BT Global Services (News - Alert), said, “This initiative was designed to address the unique customer requirements for a Lync-based ‘cloud’ managed service. We’re excited to be able to introduce NET’s UX Series products as part of our Microsoft Lync solution strategy in order to help our customers benefit from improved unified communications productivity at substantially lower costs. This initiative with NET expands both our professional and managed service solutions we offer to U.S. domestic customers and complements our global strategic approach by continuing to drive innovation and business value into our core network services.”

NET was recently in the news when it launched the UX Series and VX Series of its voice products at Enterprise Connect (News - Alert).