Avaya Inc. is a privately held telecommunications company which specializes in enterprise network, telephony, and call center technology. Formerly the Business Communications unit of Lucent Technologies, it was spun off on October 1, 2000, with 34,000 employees.
Since being spun off, Avaya has sold its manufacturing and connectivity businesses and acquired several companies to support its current product set – Vista, VPNet. Quintus, Routescience, Nimcat Networks, Spectel, Ubiquity Software and Traverse Networks. Sales through channels have grown from 98% direct to 50% alternative channels.
Avaya has also expanded in Europe through the acquisition of Tenovis and in Asia through a majority interest in Tata Telecom (now Avaya Global Connect).
In 2008 it had approximately 17,500 employees, 40% of whom are located outside the US. Avaya's global headquarters are located in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, with Kevin J. Kennedy appointed as its Chief Executive Officer.
On Sep 14, 2009, Avaya was announced as the winner for the Nortel Enterprise division sale. Avaya successfully bid $900M for Nortel Enterprise.[1] On Dec 21, 2009, Avaya and Nortel officially closed the sale, to create Avaya with a total of about 21,000 employees.[2] [3] On March 8, 2010 Avaya renewed the LG-Nortel relationship to continue Avaya Data Solutions sales into Korea
Avaya is setting aside an additional $15 million for an employee retention program, the company said. That may help keep many of the 1,850 workers left at Nortel's facilities at Durham's Research Triangle Park, where there is a substantial presence of workers in the Enterprise business, including the top executive of the division, Joel Hackney.
Hackney said in a released statement that it will be "business as usual" as the two companies sort out details of the acquisition.
"This will empower us to continue to deliver industry-leading solutions and services focused on unlocking the enterprise business potential enabled by unified communications," Hackney said. "We will ensure our customers can fully leverage their existing Nortel investment as they benefit from the complementary capabilities of the Nortel and the Avaya portfolio of products and services."
The Enterprise unit is the corporate networks business of Nortel. Avaya is also getting Nortel Government Solutions and DiamondWare Ltd. in the transaction.
While Nortel's business has been involved in multiple levels of communications deliveries, New Jersey-based Avaya is mainly focused on corporate communications, providing unified communications, contact centers and related services.
Nortel and Avaya also have complementary strengths in delivering communications in the U.S. Federal Government market, Nortel said.
Avaya had previously offered to buy the component in July with a $475 million "stalking horse" bid, which is an initial bid from an interested buyer chosen by the bankrupt company.
Avaya spokeswoman Lynn Newman said details of the employee retention program are still pending.
"That's going to be used for employees across a variety of Nortel organizations, for those roles that we would consider critical," she said.
Nortel spokesman Jay Barta declined to comment on how this transaction will affect RTP employees.
Nortel's RTP campus is the company's hub for Customers, Competitiveness and Services, the Networks Operations Center. It is a center of excellence for Global Operations, and also has a large Services presence as well as corporate functions such as HR, Finance, IS and Communications, Sales and Marketing, Research & Development and an Emergency Recovery Center.
There are now 1,850 employees at the RTP site. That's down from 2,100 employees in February, mostly as a result of layoffs and attrition, Barta said.
The communications giant has been cutting back for years since the 1990s telecom and Internet boom. At its peak, the company employed 8,500 workers in RTP.
The Avaya transaction is still subject to court and regulatory approvals and could close later this year. The company employs about 16,000 people worldwide.
Nortel had filed for Chapter 11 with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware on Jan. 14, a day before a scheduled $107 million debt payment.
Since then, the Enterprise Communications division is the second component of the company to have announced a buyer.
Read more: The Herald-Sun - Avaya wins bid to buy Nortel
This is a Summary Plan Description (SPD) of the benefits available to eligible employees under this Plan. More detailed information is provided in the Plan Document. In all instances, the Plan Document will control and govern the operation of the Plan.
The Board of Directors of Avaya Inc. (or its delegate) reserves the right to modify, suspend or terminate this Plan at any time. Questions regarding your benefits should be addressed to the Plan Administrator (see “Important Contacts”). Because of the many detailed provisions of this Plan, no one other than the Plan Administrator is authorized to advise you as to your benefits. For this reason, Avaya Inc. is not bound by statements made by anyone or any entity other than the Plan Administrator or its authorized delegates.
Please note that participation in this Plan is neither an offer of employment nor a guarantee of employment for any period of time at Avaya Inc. Avaya Inc. employees are employees at will, which means that they can terminate their employment at any time and for any reason. Avaya Inc. may terminate an employee’s employment at any time and for any reason.
Since being spun off, Avaya has sold its manufacturing and connectivity businesses and acquired several companies to support its current product set – Vista, VPNet. Quintus, Routescience, Nimcat Networks, Spectel, Ubiquity Software and Traverse Networks. Sales through channels have grown from 98% direct to 50% alternative channels.
Avaya has also expanded in Europe through the acquisition of Tenovis and in Asia through a majority interest in Tata Telecom (now Avaya Global Connect).
In 2008 it had approximately 17,500 employees, 40% of whom are located outside the US. Avaya's global headquarters are located in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, with Kevin J. Kennedy appointed as its Chief Executive Officer.
On Sep 14, 2009, Avaya was announced as the winner for the Nortel Enterprise division sale. Avaya successfully bid $900M for Nortel Enterprise.[1] On Dec 21, 2009, Avaya and Nortel officially closed the sale, to create Avaya with a total of about 21,000 employees.[2] [3] On March 8, 2010 Avaya renewed the LG-Nortel relationship to continue Avaya Data Solutions sales into Korea
Avaya is setting aside an additional $15 million for an employee retention program, the company said. That may help keep many of the 1,850 workers left at Nortel's facilities at Durham's Research Triangle Park, where there is a substantial presence of workers in the Enterprise business, including the top executive of the division, Joel Hackney.
Hackney said in a released statement that it will be "business as usual" as the two companies sort out details of the acquisition.
"This will empower us to continue to deliver industry-leading solutions and services focused on unlocking the enterprise business potential enabled by unified communications," Hackney said. "We will ensure our customers can fully leverage their existing Nortel investment as they benefit from the complementary capabilities of the Nortel and the Avaya portfolio of products and services."
The Enterprise unit is the corporate networks business of Nortel. Avaya is also getting Nortel Government Solutions and DiamondWare Ltd. in the transaction.
While Nortel's business has been involved in multiple levels of communications deliveries, New Jersey-based Avaya is mainly focused on corporate communications, providing unified communications, contact centers and related services.
Nortel and Avaya also have complementary strengths in delivering communications in the U.S. Federal Government market, Nortel said.
Avaya had previously offered to buy the component in July with a $475 million "stalking horse" bid, which is an initial bid from an interested buyer chosen by the bankrupt company.
Avaya spokeswoman Lynn Newman said details of the employee retention program are still pending.
"That's going to be used for employees across a variety of Nortel organizations, for those roles that we would consider critical," she said.
Nortel spokesman Jay Barta declined to comment on how this transaction will affect RTP employees.
Nortel's RTP campus is the company's hub for Customers, Competitiveness and Services, the Networks Operations Center. It is a center of excellence for Global Operations, and also has a large Services presence as well as corporate functions such as HR, Finance, IS and Communications, Sales and Marketing, Research & Development and an Emergency Recovery Center.
There are now 1,850 employees at the RTP site. That's down from 2,100 employees in February, mostly as a result of layoffs and attrition, Barta said.
The communications giant has been cutting back for years since the 1990s telecom and Internet boom. At its peak, the company employed 8,500 workers in RTP.
The Avaya transaction is still subject to court and regulatory approvals and could close later this year. The company employs about 16,000 people worldwide.
Nortel had filed for Chapter 11 with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware on Jan. 14, a day before a scheduled $107 million debt payment.
Since then, the Enterprise Communications division is the second component of the company to have announced a buyer.
Read more: The Herald-Sun - Avaya wins bid to buy Nortel
This is a Summary Plan Description (SPD) of the benefits available to eligible employees under this Plan. More detailed information is provided in the Plan Document. In all instances, the Plan Document will control and govern the operation of the Plan.
The Board of Directors of Avaya Inc. (or its delegate) reserves the right to modify, suspend or terminate this Plan at any time. Questions regarding your benefits should be addressed to the Plan Administrator (see “Important Contacts”). Because of the many detailed provisions of this Plan, no one other than the Plan Administrator is authorized to advise you as to your benefits. For this reason, Avaya Inc. is not bound by statements made by anyone or any entity other than the Plan Administrator or its authorized delegates.
Please note that participation in this Plan is neither an offer of employment nor a guarantee of employment for any period of time at Avaya Inc. Avaya Inc. employees are employees at will, which means that they can terminate their employment at any time and for any reason. Avaya Inc. may terminate an employee’s employment at any time and for any reason.