Avaya Helps NORAD Track Santa and his Reindeer

Avaya Helps NORAD Track Santa and his Reindeer
Avaya Technologies Connect Children with NORAD’s Santa Trackers

For Immediate Release: 01-Dec-2010

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – "Where in the world is Santa Claus?" This Christmas, Avaya, a global leader in enterprise communications systems, software and services, will help the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and its volunteers answer that question tens of thousands of times.

From 2:00 a.m. MT on December 24 through the early hours of December 25, more than 1,200 volunteer Santa trackers will man the 1-877-HI-NORAD Santa hotline, answering phone calls from children of all ages. Last year, the 25-hour NORAD Tracks Santa operations center at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado received more than 74,000 calls from families around the world.

Peterson AFB uses Avaya's real-time voice communications to help ensure these important calls get answered. Avaya Aura™ software and hardware have been tested and certified by the Department of Defense Joint Interoperability Test Command (JITC) to ensure security and reliability for missions such as this -- when failure is not an option.

"The NORAD Tracks Santa program has grown immensely since 1955, when it first began fielding calls," said Joyce Frankovis, NORAD Tracks Santa Project Officer. "Yet the excitement and wonder in children's voices when they call to ask for Santa's whereabouts is as apparent now as it was 55 years ago."

The NORAD Tracks Santa program began in 1955 after a youngster dialed a misprinted telephone number for a Santa hotline, and instead reached a helpful commander at the Continental Air Defense Command Operations Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

"For the past several years, Avaya and now UTDI, an Avaya Connect channel partner, have helped connect children and families around the world with NORAD's volunteer Santa trackers on Christmas Eve," said Steve Derr, vice president of sales and engineering, Avaya Government Solutions. "Avaya is proud to once again be part of NORAD's Track Santa program."

About Avaya

Avaya is a global leader in enterprise communications systems. The company provides unified communications, contact centers, data solutions, and related services directly and through its channel partners to leading businesses and organizations around the world. Enterprises of all sizes depend on Avaya for state-of-the-art communications that improve efficiency, collaboration, customer service and competitiveness. For more information please visit www.avaya.com.

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