MTS selected for E-Care's voice services upgrade

Improved voice platform will operate on MTS's reliable national IP fibre network

Stock Symbol:  MBT

WINNIPEG, Oct 8 /CNW/ - MTS is pleased to announce it has been selected by E-Care Contact Centres (E-Care), North America's leading service provider of international Internet based consumer finance products, to upgrade the company's current voice services at its Winnipeg contact centre. The upgrades will include the installation of the Cisco Call Manager, which will operate on MTS Allstream's national IP fibre network. MTS currently provides Internet, data managed services and long distance to E-Care.

"MTS has built a very successful business relationship with E-Care. We have provided communications solutions to them for several years and have a solid understanding of their company and their business needs," said Kelvin Shepherd, President, MTS. "This has allowed our sales team to design and integrate the best premise-based IP platforms and software applications for their business, ultimately assisting E-Care to improve their customer services and build the success of their business."

E-Care provides customer service and support for several financial service providers in the United States and Australia. More than 500 people are employed at E-Care offices in Surrey, British Columbia and Winnipeg, Manitoba, providing contact center, finance, payment services, human resources and business technology support to a variety of lending companies.

MTS has installed the Cisco's CallManager, an enterprise-class IP telephony call-processing system, at E-Care's 200-seat call centre in Winnipeg. The Cisco CallManager provides traditional telephony features as well as advanced capabilities, such as mobility, presence, preference, and rich conferencing services, which will be connected to MTS's reliable national IP fibre network.

"Our business is based on our ability to communicate with clients and customers. For this reason, we value having a trusted business communications service provider in MTS," said Kimberly DeThomas, President, E-Care Contact Centres. "Access to the MTS Allstream's national IP fibre network and Cisco CallManager will help us simplify our voice systems and improve our contact centre productivity."

About MTS
MTS is a business unit of MTS Allstream Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. As one of Canada's leading national communication solutions companies, MTS Allstream provides innovative communications for the way Canadians want to live and work today. The Company has more than 100 years of experience, with 6,000 employees across Canada dedicated to a mission of delivering true value as seen through the eyes of our customers. MTS Allstream has nearly two million total customer connections spanning business customers across Canada and residential consumers throughout the province of Manitoba. The Company's extensive national broadband and fibre optic network spans almost 30,000 kilometres. MTS Allstream is a proud sponsor of Cindy Klassen, 2006 World Champion and Canada's greatest Olympian, and a proud contributor to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. Manitoba Telecom Services Inc.'s common shares are listed on Toronto Stock Exchange (trading symbol: MBT). Customers, stakeholders and investors who want to learn more about MTS Allstream services are encouraged to visit: www.mtsallstream.com.

Forward-looking Statements Disclaimer
This news release includes forward-looking statements and information (collectively, the "statements") about our corporate direction, business opportunities, operations, financial objectives,  planned activities, future financial results and performance that are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions.  As a consequence, actual results in the future may differ materially from any conclusion, forecast, anticipation or projection in such forward-looking statements.  Examples of statements that constitute forward-looking information may be identified by words such as "believe", "expect", "project", "should", "anticipate", "could", "target", "forecast", "intend", "plan", "outlook", "see", "set", "pending", and other similar terms.

Factors that could cause anticipated opportunities and actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to, matters identified in the "Risks and Uncertainties" section and elsewhere in our most recent annual MD&A and any subsequent quarterly MD&As, as well as our most recent Annual Information Form, all of which are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Please note that forward-looking statements reflect our expectations as at the date hereof.  We disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise except as required by law.

For further information:

Media:      
Gillian Giesbrecht      
MTS Allstream Corporate Communications 
204-958-3392    
[email protected]