PITTSBURGH, March 27 – Marconi Communications, a provider of advanced communications solutions, announced that four of its North American facilities were among the first telecommunications equipment vendors to have received TL 9000 quality registration from the Quality Excellence for Suppliers of Telecommunications (QuEST) Forum. TL 9000 is a telecommunications-specific set of requirements and measurements built upon an ISO 9000 framework that assures that all participating telecommunications suppliers fall under the same guidelines and distinguishes "best in class" suppliers and manufacturers. "The fact that four Marconi facilities have received this certification reinforces our commitment to meeting and exceeding customers' expectations," said Mike Parton, CEO of Marconi Communications. "Maintaining high levels of quality standards is a fundamental part of the way we do business." The purpose of TL 9000, which some service providers and carriers have begun to include as requirements in their contracts, is to define the telecommunications quality management system requirements for the design, development, production, delivery, installation and maintenance of products and services. Included in TL 9000 certification are cost-and performance-based measurements of reliability and quality performance of the products and services.