Ministry will deploy sophisticated IP Communications to all staff

KUWAIT CITY, Kuwait - January 23, 2008 - Mitel®, the trusted provider of IP Communications solutions, today announced that Kuwait's Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) is to deploy Mitel's 3300 IP Communications Platform (ICP) and Web-based IP phones to over 500 staff at the ministry's headquarters.

The deployment will see Mitel's highly resilient and scalable 3300 ICP MXe platform installed with Mitel's top of the range IP Desktop devices and value-added applications. The 3300 MXe solution offers a RAID configuration and dual power supplies to ensure maximum reliability and resiliency to meet the needs of this high call volume ministry.

The deployment will include Mitel's award winning applications, such as the sophisticated and highly intuitive Mitel Your Assistant collaboration suite with its embedded softphone capabilities.  The Ministry will also deploy Mitel's Teleworker solution to staff working remotely where they can have access to exactly the same features as those working at the headquarters. The Ministry has also selected Mitel's high-end IP phone portfolio, including the Mitel 5330 and 5340 Web-based IP phones, which, via an HTML toolkit, can deliver custom designed applications directly to the end user to enhance customer satisfaction and staff productivity. 

"The Mitel IP telephony solution has provided MoHE with a flexible, future proofed foundation to develop enhanced applications to evolve with our business and its continuing needs. The next step will be to look at the IVR and Call Centre solutions to improve call handling and further increase customer satisfaction," said Mr. Tareq A. Almarzouq, IT Department, Kuwait Ministry of Higher Education.

The project is to be implemented by M/S Fahad Al Bahar Sons Trading Co. (FBS), a Mitel Gold Solution Provider in Kuwait since 1988.

"For The Ministry of Higher Education, it was important to implement a highly reliable and scalable communications solution with the highest degree of resiliency, functionality and flexibility. Our particular expertise, in terms of providing solutions for the education sector, allows us to now address these kinds of requirements. Combined with Mitel's expertise in this very important vertical, we are able to go to market with a very strong proposition to our broad and sophisticated customer base", said Abdulrahman Al-Bahar, Chairman of FBS Trading Company. W.L.L.

"I am delighted with the continued momentum that Mitel is showing in the region and recognize the quality and expertise of our partners such as Al Bahar. Across the region we are seeing that ministries and governmental institutions from Kuwait, UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Yemen and Saudi Arabia are selecting Mitel's IP communications solutions on the merit they afford and the return on investment they provide. The fact that high-profile governmental departments recognize the benefits of Mitel's portfolio of innovative platforms, applications and phones is a proof point that we meet all of the strict requirements and expectations of governmental ministries ," said Hisham Amili, Mitel GM, GCC.

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About Fahad Al Bahar Sons (FBS Co.)
FBS is a leading provider in communication of broadband services access platforms for next generation networks. Providing the best in hi-tech, latest computer telephony (CT) solutions. System's portfolio includes voice communications systems, desktop peripherals and networking solutions. FBS is helping enterprises to develop and launch IP telephony applications. FBS is a sole provider of converging voice and data systems and applications.

About Mitel
Mitel is a leading provider of integrated communications solutions and services for business customers. Mitel's voice-centric IP-based communications solutions consist of a combination of telephony hardware and software that integrate voice, video and data communications with business applications and processes. These solutions enable our customers to realize significant cost benefits and to conduct their business more efficiently and effectively by enabling enhanced communications, information sharing and collaboration within a business and with customers, partners and suppliers. Mitel is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, with offices, partners and resellers worldwide.

For more information, visit www.mitel.com or contact Mitel's Dubai office :
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© Press Release 2008