Moving to tighten the integration of IT and communications usage among their customers, Alcatel-Lucent and HP on Monday unveiled a brace of new communications solutions aimed at improving the deployment of unified communications and collaboration (UC&C) features.

The effort is focused primarily on moving enterprise and business customers to Alcatel-Lucent solutions like its open IP Telephony for US&C and its Genesys Customer Interaction management platform in partnership with HP. For instance, users of legacy PBXs can be moved to Alcatel-Lucent’s open IP Telephony architecture for UC&C using HP solutions, the companies indicated. The new joint program builds on the firms’ global alliance that they unveiled last year.

“Clients want an open, holistic approach to services delivery that maximizes their investment in US&C," said Gary Budzinski, senior vice president and general manager of HP’s Technology Services unit, in a statement. "The strength of Alcatel-Lucent and HP’s combined portfolio provides organizations with open and highly scalable solutions that address the touch points where communication is critical.”

The companies said that the new partnership will assist clients in using updated versions of Genesys Customer Interaction Management Platform, UC Connect Solutions, and the Alcatel-Lucent OmniTouch Instant Communication Suite.

The offerings will also be melded with HP’s UC&C portfolio and can be implemented on customer premises or via outsourced operating models.

“We have a common approach to solutions that meet the needs of each individual customer’s requirements including their existing technology mix, overall organizational needs and migration plans for the future,” noted Tom Burns, Alcatel-Lucent’s president of Enterprise and Strategic Industries Business unit.

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