Avaya Named Winning Bidder of Nortel’s Enterprise Solutions Business

Avaya announced its offer to purchase Nortel Enterprise Solutions on July 20, 2009. 

On 14 September 2009, Avaya was selected, pending bankruptcy court approval, to acquire Nortel Enterprise Solutions for US $900 million and an additional pool of $15 million reserved for an employee retention program.  The deal includes substantially all of the assets of Nortel’s global Enterprise Solutions business as well as the shares of Nortel Government Solutions, Incorporated and DiamondWare, Ltd.  This announcement follows the completion of an auction, and the final transaction is subject to court and customary regulatory approvals in Canada and the United States.

Further regulatory review and approvals are required prior to closing the deal but this marks an important step in significantly strengthening Avaya’s leadership in business communications and positioning the company to effectively deliver industry leading enterprise communications solutions to customers around the globe.

What does this mean to Avaya partners?
With the combined strengths of both firms, Avaya and Nortel partners will be able to enjoy the benefits of increased global scale, expanded channel ecosystem, and an enhanced world-class portfolio of products and services.  Partners in the federal sector can take advantage of an even greater opportunity to provide communication solutions that will not only support our public sector customers around the world, but also enhance citizen service. 

With a broader portfolio and revenue base, we would also look to further enhance our funding for R&D to fuel future innovation, which translates directly into providing creative solutions for our customers. 

Additionally, existing and new partners will benefit from Avaya’s commitment to success and profitability.  This transaction strengthens Avaya overall and makes us a better channel partner. 

"Azzurri has been an Avaya Platinum partner since the accreditation programme was launched and welcomes the acquisition of Nortel Enterprise Solutions by Avaya. It means our customers will be able to gain from synergies bred from the coming together of two fantastic technology companies. The consolidation will also benefit both customer bases as they will also be able to enjoy the convergence of IP communications and improved products brought to market faster."
Antony Vigar, Regional Sales Director, Azzurri Communications Ltd

Get Informed and Pick Up Your Toolkit!
Information and tools related to the Avaya-Nortel acquisition can be found on the Avaya Partner Portal (Highlights > Hot Topic > Avaya Agreement with Nortel).  These tools include acquisition overviews, frequently asked questions, and talking points for you to use with customers and more. 

What’s next?
Avaya and Nortel have begun to plan for integration activities such as product and service portfolio rationalization and determining a long term strategy for the combined company.  As that information becomes available, we will be sharing that information with you.

In the meantime, please note that Avaya and Nortel are separate, independent competitors.  Avaya’s business information, such as pricing, plans, and customer information, should remain confidential and not be shared with Nortel, and vice versa.

Make sure to bookmark the Avaya-Nortel integration page for easy future access!