Schmidt said the packaged systems can be installed for "as much as 30 percent less" than most customized systems.

Nortel's partners will use sales and support software to help customers find the right configuration for their operations, she said.

Schmidt said packages can be created based on the number of expected users and the applications needed. The basic package for converting a Meridian 1 time division multi-plexer switch (a traditional circuit-switched network design) would include a new IP core processor, IP phones, a software release, a networking switch and related gear, all packaged with one part number and one price, Schmidt said. Additional phones and prepackaged applications could be added to the basic package, she said.

Lassman said there's no guarantee that Nortel's IPT 1-2-3 program will prove successful, and he questioned whether the vendor can "literally deliver plug-and-play IP tele-phony, including software."