11th annual Nortel Supplier Forum Winers Announced

Nortel honored its top performing suppliers and top supplier representatives for 2006 Thursday at the 11th annual Nortel Supplier Forum in Beijing.

"Nortel is committed to creating and maintaining a 'best-in-class' global supply chain. These annual awards support this commitment by acknowledging suppliers whose contributions continually drive success and improve productivity," said Joel Hackney, senior vice president, Global Operations and Quality, Nortel. "Nortel is fundamentally transforming the way we do business. Driving innovation through our supplier relationships is central to this transformation and helps create a competitive advantage for everyone."

Award winners acknowledged at the Supplier Forum were:

• Quality and Service - Technology Supplier: Micron Semiconductor Products
• Quality and Service - Services Supplier: Towers Perrin
• Innovation - Technology Supplier: Solectron Corporation
• Innovation - Service Supplier: Xeta Technologies
• Supplier Representative of the Year: John Maur, Beeline International
• Diversity Supplier of the Year: Freedom CAD Services, Inc.
• Supplier of the Year: Delta Products Corporation

"Suppliers play a major role in helping Nortel achieve its promise of Business Made Simple," said Jeff Townley, Nortel's newly-appointed chief procurement officer. "We rely on our suppliers to streamline Nortel's supply chain process through a focus on Value, Velocity and Vision. The suppliers and representatives honored for 2006 represent that focus and the 'best in class' thinking behind Nortel's Supply Chain transformation."

More than 250 people representing 112 of Nortel's Strategic Suppliers attended the two-day Forum, which included a 'State of the Business' keynote from Mike Zafirovski, Nortel's president and CEO.

Nortel presented suppliers with the Company's vision of building a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Attendees also received updates on Nortel's Global Supply Chain and Quality, Nortel's ongoing Business Transformation and Lean Six Sigma initiatives. Additional presentations focused on Nortel's Technology and Products including Global Services, Carrier Networks, Metro Ethernet Networks, Enterprise Solutions and Global Procurement.