Sprint, Alcatel Extend Deals

Sprint has signed a $4.5 million contract to provide business voice and data services to document management specialist Oce .

The three-year deal includes toll-free long distance, switched and dedicated voice services, calling cards, ISDN , manageed network services, frame relay and Internet protocol services.

The two companies have had a working relationship for about three years. The experience convinced Oce, which has North American headquarters in Chicago, to extend and expand the agreement.

“Sprint’s ability to manage our network — which we use to transmit very large pieces of information around the continent — has enabled us to focus our energy on growing our core business,” said Dennis Riordan, Oce’s CFO and vice president.

The deal comes a day after Overland, Kan.-based Sprint announced a plan to roll out Wi-Fi service in public places such as airports, hotels and convention centers. Sprint says the ability for workers to access e-mail and transmit files while out of the office will be an attractive option for business customers.

In other telecom news today, France’s Alcatel has will supply a Polish telecom, Telekomunikacja Polska, with $17 million worth of access, switching and transmission equipment.

The carrier is improving its network to meet customer demand for broadband Internet access and advanced data and video transmission.

“Alcatel’s solutions will allow us to extend our network and expand our services in order to satisfy the increasing needs of our individual and business clients,” a Tlekomikacja Polska spokeswoman said.

Like Sprint and Oce, these two companies have also done business previously.