Ericsson, a provider of telecom equipments and solutions, announced it completed the asset purchase agreement to acquire Nortel's Multiservice Switch business.

With the acquisition, Ericsson will gain access to Nortel’s switch product portfolio and installed base in the data segment. The purchase will also be ensuring the supply of the platform for the recently acquired CDMA and GSM units.

Earlier this year, Avaya released its road map for customers and prospects following its acquisition of the former Nortel enterprise solutions. Since then it has been building out its new highway.

Avaya has now cut the ribbon on the first stretch with a suite of new and enhanced contact center and unified communications “UC” product innovations and services based on the Avaya Aura platform. It has also announced when other new sections will be opening.

Nortel  Carrier VoIP and Application Solutions (CVAS) has announced the addition of a new Web-based UC collaboration application to Hosted IP Communications Solution.

The company said the new application will enable service providers to increase subscriber productivity and generate incremental revenues by allowing users to instantly shift from conference calls to full, rich-media Web collaboration when needed.

Analysts are mixed on whether Nortel, the disintegrating telecom titan, will survive in some form or die off, becoming a distant memory of a bygone era and century.

Avaya says moving Nortel customers to its unified communications packages can be done gradually and reduce costs, too.
Avaya will reveal a road map that shows how its customers – in particular its newly minted Nortel customers -- can move to unified communications technologies without ripping out existing gear.

The rise and fall of Nortel