PARIS, Feb. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) has once again been named one of America's Top Corporations for Women's Business Enterprises by the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). The award honors corporations for world-class programs that create level playing fields for women's business enterprises (WBEs) to compete for corporate contracts.

"Our Top Corporations are world-class leaders generating growth through partnerships with women's business enterprises," said Linda Denny, president and CEO of WBENC, the leading authority on and advocate for women's business enterprises as vendors and suppliers to the nation's leading corporations. "This year we reached a record high of 21 Top Corporations selected for outstanding, enterprise-wide supplier diversity programs and measurable results."

This is the third year Alcatel-Lucent has been named to the WBENC list.

"It is an honor to be selected, once again, for this recognition," said Nick DeTura, Vice President of Supply Chain and Logistics for Alcatel-Lucent's Americas Region. "Our commitment to supplier diversity has long been a central part of who we are. We understand a diverse supplier base is vital for our success."

The America's Top Corporations for Women's Business Enterprises Awards presentation will take place on Thursday, March 25, 2010, in the Benjamin Franklin Room of the United States State Department in Washington, DC. The event will occur during WBENC's 2010 Summit and Salute to Women's Business Enterprise: The Opportunity Connection attracting over 1,000 and celebrating 14 Women's Business Enterprise Stars who are exemplary WBEs from across the country.

About Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC):

About WBENC: The Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) is the leading advocate for, and authority on, Women's Business Enterprises (WBEs) as suppliers and vendors to the nation's corporations. Founded in 1997, WBENC is also the nation's leading third-party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women, with WBENC certification accepted by more than 1,000 corporations, representing America's most prestigious brands. Throughout the year, WBENC is supported by 14 Regional Partner Organizations (RPOs), which administer and process WBENC's Gold Standard Certification, provide regional matchmaking programs, and deliver capacity development training to women owned businesses. WBENC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that seeks and accepts donations from corporations, foundations and individuals that support its mission and programs. For more information, please go to www.wbenc.org.

About Alcatel-Lucent

Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) is the trusted transformation partner of service providers, enterprises, strategic industries such as defense, energy, healthcare, transportation, and governments worldwide, providing solutions to deliver voice, data and video communication services to end-users. A leader in fixed, mobile and converged broadband networking, IP technologies, applications and services, Alcatel-Lucent leverages the unrivalled technical and scientific expertise of Bell Labs, one of the largest innovation powerhouses in the communications industry. With operations in more than 130 countries and the most experienced global services organization in the industry, Alcatel-Lucent is a local partner with a global reach. Alcatel-Lucent achieved revenues of Euro 15.2 billion in 2009 and is incorporated in France, with executive offices located in Paris. For more information, visit Alcatel-Lucent on the Internet: http://www.alcatel-lucent.com.

SOURCE Alcatel-Lucent