Lucent picks up Macquarie deal

Macquarie Corporate Telecommunications has selected Lucent Technologies to provide ATM technology for a national data network to be rolled out later this year, officials announced this week.

Lucent was chosen for the multimillion dollar investment from a pool of five bidders invited to tender for the project last November.

According to Aidan Tudehope, Macquarie's chief operating officer, building the data network is "not a major shift" in business operations for Macquarie, but rather the next step for the corporate telco provider.

"We've got the customer base . . . [and] design network, the next step is to have the network option," Tudehope said.

"Macquarie to date has been very successful in a solution management model . . . [the data network provides] an extra option that our facilities management consultants can use."

The network will allow Macquarie to compete more closely with Telstra and Optus by providing customers with another carrier-grade network to choose from.

According to Tudehope, Macquarie plans to launch a number of related products such as frame relay, IP-based products and integrated access in May.