November 24, 2003
Regus signs £1 million contract with BT
BT Conferencing to supply, install and manage Polycom videoconferencing solution in 43 Regus centres.
BT Conferencing, the largest European conferencing solutions provider, today announced a £1m videoconferencing contract with Regus in the UK. Regus is the world's largest independent provider of videoconferencing suites to business and the global leader in serviced offices. The UK is Regus' largest market. Worldwide, Regus serves 60,000 customers every day.
The two-year contract includes the supply of Polycom ViewStation videoconferencing systems plus maintenance and associated services to 43 Regus locations across the UK. It is likely that further Regus centres will be equipped with new videoconferencing facilities in the near future.
Regus has the largest network of meeting rooms in the world - from furnished, equipped offices to private executive offices and open plan team areas. This upgrading of its videoconferencing suites with the latest technology is proof of the company's commitment to provide and invest in the very best for its customers. The first upgraded videoconferencing suite was installed in August and Regus has a dedicated call centre that manages the booking for the suites.. BT Conferencing will be supporting the launch using a combination of online and offline media.
Director of BT Conferencing, Nigel Stagg said "I am delighted that BT Conferencing has been able to assist Regus in its growth plans. Video communication enables businesses to reduce the time and associated costs of travelling as well as helping to improve productivity and efficiency by speeding up decision-making. It is a core part of the Regus offer"
David Ford, CEO Regus UK said "This is a great opportunity for us to further enhance the services we offer clients. As the market leader in videoconferencing services for British business, we are committed to maintaining our leadership and we recognise that our facilities have to be state-of-the art and best of breed. BT was an obvious choice as a partner for Regus. In the end, BT was one of a select few that could support the volumes and geographical reach offered by the nationwide network of Regus centres".
"We deployed Polycom ViewStation systems within Regus as they are easy to use and manage, provide high quality audio and video, and importantly, are extremely reliable. This will allow Regus to continue to offer the best possible service to its clients," added Stagg.
Tony Heyworth, Director of Marketing EMEA for Polycom said, "Regus is offering its clients state of the art conferencing facilities that enable improved business communication with remotely located colleagues, customers, partners, and suppliers, allowing the significant business benefits that Polycom conferencing solutions bring to be realised. Polycom is delighted that BT, through its relationship with Regus, is taking videoconferencing to an even wider audience."
About Regus
Operating in 240 cities in more than 50 countries, Regus is the global leader in supplying fully serviced offices. Offering 96,000 workstations in more than 420 prestigious locations, it is also a market leader in providing meeting rooms, training facilities and public access videoconferencing studios.
About BT Conferencing
BT Conferencing is a division of BT Retail, BT's consumer facing business based in the United Kingdom, while BT Conferencing Inc. is its US subsidiary. BT Conferencing is a world leader in the development and provision of phone, video and e-conferencing solutions. It has an established reputation and more than 12 years' experience as a provider of high quality, leading-edge conferencing products and services. It now has conferencing service operations in eight countries worldwide: Australia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, the Netherlands, the UK and the USA.
About Polycom
Polycom, Inc. is the world's technology leader of high-quality, easy-to-use video, voice, data and web conferencing and collaboration solutions. The Polycom OfficeT is our continued commitment to make distance communications as natural and interactive as being there by providing best-in-class conferencing solutions that are interoperable, integrated and intuitive to the user. The Polycom Office is based on industry standards and supported by an open architecture that promotes interoperability in multi-vendor environments and complements leading network infrastructure platforms. Polycom EMEA (formerly Polyspan) HQ is in Slough, Berkshire in the UK. Polycom EMEA operates in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. For additional information, call 00 800 00 33 44 55 or visit the Polycom web site at www.polycom.com.
Media enquiries should be directed to:
Stephen Jolly, Regus Group Communications
01932 895138
Jon Carter, press officer, BT Retail
020 7356 4523
Mike Jarvis, press officer, BT Retail
020 7356 6045
or via the BT Newsroom on its 24-hour number
020 7356 5369
Sarah Chidgey, Sixth Sense, for Polycom
01635 552694
