News Release

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May. 11, 2009-- Virtually wherever and whenever business customers connect, Sprint-enabled unified communications will follow -- from the desk phone to computer to the mobile phone -- with voice, data, messaging and conferencing applications effortlessly flowing from one destination to the next. Sprint (NYSE: S) today announces how Sprint enables unified communications to help businesses and government agencies increase productivity and customer satisfaction while driving down costs.

“Enabling unified communications is a cornerstone of Sprint’s strategy to serve the rapidly evolving and increasing demands of the business and government market via our dependable Now Network,” said Paget Alves, president of Business Markets Group, Sprint. “Our customers operate in a complex environment, but they need just the opposite in their communications experience. We are converging wireless and wireline technologies into an unprecedented user experience that is fully mobile, flexible, feature-rich, simplified and cost-efficient.”

What Unified Communications delivers to business and government customers

Simply put, unified communications transforms communications into a seamless, integrated experience for users. Everyday users can easily relate to its basic benefits –

• Instead of contacting someone first by desktop phone, then by mobile phone, callers can dial a single number that rings both devices.
• Instead of constantly checking multiple e-mail and voicemail systems, an employee can have all messages pushed to all desktop and mobile devices.
• Instead of playing digital hide-and-seek with associates, an employee can instantly know which teammates are available at any given moment, whether by voice, web or audio conference, Instant Messaging or other modes.

These and other capabilities can yield substantial benefits across the enterprise when combined with applications and systematically applied to functions such as customer relationship and supply chain management, and sales and field force automation. As a result, businesses can serve their customers better and faster, facilitate more productive interactions among employees and business partners, and ultimately save money.

“In addition to a strong ROI, unified communications can deliver compelling business benefits – especially to remote and mobile workforces. Adoption of unified communications technology is growing and will continue to grow well into the future,” said Lisa Pierce, President of Strategic Networks Group. “Sprint's strategy on integrating mobility with UC, as demonstrated in its Mobile Integration solution, shows how service providers can work with partners like Cisco, IBM and Microsoft enhance and extend their UC products. This type of collaboration provides customers with better UC functionality than can be achieved by relying on a single supplier for UC functionality.”

Critical to Sprint Business Markets Group’s overall converged solutions strategy

Sprint will support its unified communications capabilities with a unique set of strategic network assets. These include the nation’s most dependable 3G mobile broadband network*, 4G capabilities that are well ahead of competitors, Sprint’s Global IP network and the company’s leadership in wireless-wireline integration. Sprint is coupling these assets with the capabilities of companies like Cisco, IBM and Microsoft to create a distinct unified communications model.

Alves continued, “We’re not talking about something that’s years away. Unified communications is here and now. It can bring immediate benefits in the form of a competitive advantage for businesses combined with the opportunity to better manage costs in a recessionary environment.”

Sprint’s strategy reflects the company’s ability to enable its partners’ unified communications services with best-in-class convergence solutions, including –

• Sprint Global MPLS -- A robust network which supports real time applications and provides a unique foundation for enabling unified communications.
• Sprint SIP Trunking -- A solution that operates over the Sprint Global MPLS network and enables VoIP. Benefits include substantially reduced business voice local, long-distance and calling feature charges.
• Sprint Mobile Integration – A unique solution that enables users to fully integrate their Sprint CDMA phones with the unified communications environment, extending desktop phone capabilities to mobile phones.

Sprint’s collaboration with Cisco, IBM and Microsoft is facilitating the integration of Global MPLS, SIP Trunking and Mobile Integration with their unified communications products so businesses can be confident the services will work well together and meet the needs of businesses of all sizes. Current go-to-market activities and plans include –

• Mobile Integration and SIP Trunking are available today with Cisco® Unified Communications Manager. This effort allows businesses to extend the value of their existing telecom investment and save costs with integrated products to help users fully use the tools from virtually wherever they are and improve productivity.
• Sprint's SIP Trunking product and the ability to fully integrate Sprint’s wireless network with IBM's Sametime Unified Telephony will deliver a platform for a seamless solution for fixed and mobile workers, including redefining the wireless device as a primary tool for unified communications. In fact, IBM plans to demonstrate this value with a pilot program within the IBM CIO's organization. Expected results include productivity increases for IBM's highly mobile environment, as well as reduced telecom expenses, which can easily be translated to business customers.
• Sprint is one of the first United States-based providers of SIP Trunking services qualified for use with Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 Release 2. With Office Communications Server 2007 R2 and Sprint’s SIP Trunking services, customers have choices in how their communications and collaboration software is delivered, managed and maintained. This assists in tearing down the walls that separate telecom and computing with software that takes advantage of the existing infrastructure.

To learn more about Sprint’s internal deployment of unified communications and its $6 million annual cost savings, visit www.sprint.com/whitepapers.

For more information on Sprint converged solutions, visit www.sprint.com/convergence or contact your Sprint account team. To join in the latest discussions and learn more about business solutions available through wireline convergence, visit the Seamless Enterprise at www.seamlessenterprise.com.

ABOUT SPRINT NEXTEL

Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including two wireless networks serving more than 49 million customers at the end of the first quarter of 2009; industry-leading mobile data services; instant national and international walkie-talkie capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. For more information, visit www.sprint.com.

* “Dependable” based on independent, third party drive tests for 3G data connection success, session reliability and signal strength for the top 50 most populous markets from Jan. ’08 to Feb. ’09.

Source: Sprint Nextel

Sprint Nextel
Stephanie Greenwood, 913-794-3658
stephanie.greenwood@sprint.com