Lucent Technologies GuestWorks offers hotel guests direct dial personal numbers and 911 alerts to pager; TownePlace Suites by Marriott first to extend new features to guestss.

M2 PRESSWIRE-5 April 2000-LUCENT TECHNOLOGIES: Lucent Technologies GuestWorks offers hotel guests direct dial personal numbers and 911 alerts to pager; TownePlace Suites by Marriott first to extend new features to guestss (C)1994-2000 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

RDATE:04042000

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. -- Lucent Technologies' (NYSE: LU) Enterprise Networks Group today announced several new features for its GuestWorks system that provide hotel guests with direct dial personal telephone lines, automatic data and telephone port set-up upon check-in and delivery of crisis alerts to hotel management pagers for 911 emergency calls.

GuestWorks is an integrated, turnkey communications system that incorporates call processing, messaging, phones and services. The GuestWorks Release 6.0 upgrade offers business travelers -- particularly extended-stay guests - features that make it easier for callers to reach them directly and have access to data links quickly. The release also improves a hotel staff's ability to quickly respond to guest emergencies.

The latest version of GuestWorks allows guests to take advantage of the automatic selection of Direct Inward Dial (DID) numbers. Hotel guests can now receive calls directly to their rooms without intervention from the hotel attendant. The communication system can maintain a dedicated block of DID numbers that are assigned automatically when a guest checks into a room. This capability allows guests to give a direct dial number to callers, allowing greater protection of room privacy so connection between a hotel room number and telephone extension is never required.

TownePlace Suites by Marriott in Kennesaw, Ga., which is owned and operated by Day Hospitality Group, is the first to offer the latest GuestWorks features to its guests at the 83-room property in the Atlanta suburb. The hotel uses GuestWorks' DID capabilities to issue guests direct toll-free numbers that can be given to business colleagues or family at the guest's expense.

"The GuestWorks personalized direct dialing feature is a new source of revenue and a nice option to offer our guests and make them feel at home, particularly our extended-stay travelers, " said Warren Schatzle, general manager of TownePlace Suites in Kennesaw. "We're able to increase guest satisfaction and provide a greater sense of privacy and personalization." GuestWorks Release 6.0 also offers a crisis alert to pager feature that signals the hotel console and up to three designated digital pagers that a 911 call has been placed. The system emits a siren-like audible alert and the guests' name and extension number appear on the console display and multiple administrative telephones so hotel staff can respond quickly.

With the Suite Check-in feature, guests no longer have to wait for the telecommunications manager to manually assign and activate multiple extensions in a room. In one command, GuestWorks 6.0 software automatically establishes the extensions upon a guest's check-in. Previously, a hotel telecommunications manager needed additional time to "check-in" additional extensions.

Lucent's GuestWorks can support up to 25,000 voice and data phone lines - making it ideal for properties of all sizes. The features announced today are generally available worldwide. For more information on GuestWorks, customers may call 800-247-7000, talk to their authorized Lucent dealer or access http://www.lucent.com/enterprise.

By the end of September, Lucent Technologies intends to spin off its enterprise communications systems, business cabling and LAN-based data networking businesses, including GuestWorks, into a separate $8 billion company focused on delivering next-generation communications networks for enterprises. The new company will be the worldwide leader in messaging and call centers, the U.S. leader in voice communications systems, and will have the largest sales and services force in the industry.

Lucent Technologies, headquartered in Murray Hill, N.J., USA, designs and delivers the systems, software, silicon and services for next-generation communications networks for service providers and enterprises. Backed by the research and development of Bell Labs, Lucent focuses on high-growth areas such as optical and wireless networks; Internet infrastructure; communications software; communications semiconductors and optoelectronics; Web-based enterprise solutions that link private and public networks; and professional network design and consulting services. For more information on Lucent Technologies, visit its Web site at http://www.lucent.com.

CONTACT: Robyn Roberts, Lucent Technologies Tel: +1 908 953 7805 e-mail: rrroberts@lucent.com Marianne Carlton, Lucent Technologies Tel: +1 908 953 7520 e-mail: macarlton@lucent.com

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