IRVING, Texas - Fraser Health, a British Columbia health authority, has selected NEC Unified Solutions, Inc. to provide unified messaging and voice recognition technologies to enhance its converged voice and data network. 

Beginning in Spring 2005, NEC will implement its NEAXMail AD-120 unified messaging solution, which will eventually support 20,000 employees at 140 locations throughout southwest British Columbia. NEC will consolidate Fraser Health's existing messaging system, which consists of five separate voicemail platforms.  NEC's solution will deliver voice, fax, and e-mail messages directly to the users' inbox.

NEC will also deploy ScanSoft's voice recognition solution, which will provide the 1.44 million residents living in the region served by Fraser Health with an interface to automate health care information requests and transactions.

Since 1998, Fraser Health has continually chosen NEC to develop its voice and data network, which includes four NEAX 2400 IPX and 20 NEAX 2000 IPS systems with IP trunking, Dterm™ wireless handsets and Medical Center System software.  In 2004, Fraser Health deployed NEC's UNIVERGE™ WL wireless LAN converged mobility solution at three sites and is currently evaluating plans to expand its use to additional facilities, as well as employ further NEC services and technologies including security assessments, UNIVERGE SV7000 peer-to-peer IP communications platform and SIP-enabled handsets.

"Our long relationship with NEC began after we recognized how closely the company's philosophy and healthcare experience matched our strategic vision of consolidating equipment from multiple vendors into a tightly integrated voice and data network," said Jim Taylor, manager of network services, Fraser Health.  "We've found that NEC consistently delivers a complete portfolio of products and services to meet our specific needs."