TMCnet News
U.S. Social Security Blows $300 Million on Nortel VoIP systemOriginally posted on VoIP & Gadgets Blog, here: http://blog.tmcnet.com/blog/tom-keating/voip/us-social-security-blows-300-million-on-nortel-voip-system-1.asp. According to CNN:
Now I'm all for Social Security upgrading their phone systems and going VoIP, but $300 million? $300 million? That's just crazy talk. What's in this Nortel phone system - titanium? platinum? Surely, there must be a cheaper, perhaps open source solution that can save the Social Security program millions, which means saving me, the U.S. taxpayer millions. Ok, so I read further... Ok, now that is one massive integrated VoIP phone system. It definitely has to handle quite a bit of call volume, lots of phone endpoints (100,000+), security, management, etc. Government institutions have to be especially wary of security and privacy implications, so Nortel probably offers special professional services to ensure security and high availability. I still keep tripping over the $300 million though, which is part of the Telephone Systems Replacement Project (TSRP). Doesn't this sound eeriy similar to TARP (Trouble Assets Relief program), the massive U.S. government bailout program? Only 1 letter off. Social security is going bankrupt and they're spending hundreds of millions on a newfandagled phone system made by a Canadian and not by an American company. Makes perfect sense to me. American taxpayers may as well bailout Nortel, Canada's pride and joy telecom company. Just kidding folks. The SSA should should the best phone system as the best price. Obviously, Nortel won the contract fair and square. Unless of course they greased some palms at the SSA. When it comes to the government and politics, I am always a bit wary.
Tags: bailout, Nortel, Nortel Government Solutions, Social Security, SSA, voip
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