Network of companies creates innovative, IP-enabled Unified Communications applications
that extend the value of multivendor networks

TORONTO – March 15, 2010 – Iristel Inc., a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) operator licensed by the Canadian Radio Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), today announced it has been selected by Avaya Inc., a leading global provider of business communications applications, systems and services, for Gold membership in the Avaya DevConnect program.

Iristel develops SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) trunking solutions that enable customers to converge local, long distance and private voice traffic on a single IP backbone to reduce network costs and gain a maximum return on their IP investments.

The Avaya DevConnect program promotes the development, compliance-testing and co-marketing of innovative third-party products that are compatible with standards-based Avaya solutions.  Member organizations have expertise in a broad range of technologies – including IP telephony, contact centers and mobility applications – helping companies extend the value of multivendor networks and transform voice into an intelligent business application that delivers true value to the bottom line.

“Membership in Avaya’s developer community will help us build our business by serving customers more efficiently and effectively,” said Maged Bishara, vice president of operations at Iristel Inc.  “Building on Avaya resources and working more closely with the company to deliver compliance-tested solutions to the market, we can reduce network complexity, improve security and reliability, and speed time to deployment so businesses can quickly realize a benefit to their bottom line.”

The Avaya DevConnect program currently includes thousands of software and hardware developer companies, integrators, service providers and customers.  Members have created a broad array of innovative solutions tested for Avaya compliance, including natural language speech recognition applications, wireless services, specialized computer telephony integration and reporting capabilities, and applications tailored for specific vertical industries.

Through the DevConnect program, Avaya provides a number of platforms and interfaces for member companies to develop with and enhance.  One example is Avaya Aura™ Session Manager. Using Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), Session Manager integrates with a broad range of Avaya SIP-ready applications including Communication Manager, Meeting Exchange, Voice Portal, Presence Services, Avaya Integrated Management and Modular Messaging. Session Manager connects Communication Manager as a feature (SIP) server and both Avaya enterprise PBX and small key systems within branch offices, third-party PBXs, gateways, service providers, SIP-enabled adjuncts, and SIP telephones. It also integrates locations and applications.

“Development partners like Iristel are helping Avaya dramatically expand the options available to its customers,” said Eric Rossman, vice president, developer relations, Avaya.  “We’re able to provide the tools businesses need to change the way they work and to establish a true competitive advantage in the marketplace.”

As a member of the DevConnect program, companies have access to a wide range of support from Avaya, including technical resources and training.  There are three levels of membership – Registered, Gold and Platinum – each entailing progressive levels of marketing and sales involvement.  Free Registered membership is available to anyone interested in designing Avaya-compatible solutions.  Gold-level members and Platinum members must meet rigorous Avaya criteria for customer satisfaction, product support, business operations, marketing and sales. Iristel is a Gold-level member.

Membership information and a listing of solutions developed and tested under the DevConnect program are available at www.avaya.com/devconnect.

About Avaya

Avaya is a global leader in enterprise communications systems.  The company provides unified communications, contact centers, and related services directly and through its channel partners to leading businesses and organizations around the world.  Enterprises of all sizes depend on Avaya for state-of-the-art communications that improve efficiency, collaboration, customer service and competitiveness.  For more information please visit www.avaya.com.  For more information on the Avaya DevConnect program, visit www.avaya.com/devconnect.

About Iristel Inc.

Established in 1999, Iristel is a leading global provider of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services with its headquarters in Toronto, Canada.  The company was granted a carrier license by the Canadian Radio-Television Commission (CRTC) in 2000 and today it is a national VoIP service provider with the CRTC’s Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC) designation in Canada. In addition, Iristel offers the broadest portfolio of IP services in Canada, including hosted IP PBX (private branch exchange), virtual faxing, virtual roaming, and global IP trunking products and services. Its expertise includes PBX and VPN (virtual private network) installations for enterprises with multiple locations. Iristel has also deployed multiple, redundant switching facilities and Points of Presence (PoPs) nationally resulting in the delivery of stable telecom business solutions to its customers.  More information about Iristel can be found at: http://www.iristel.ca.

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