Avaya leads global enterprise IP telephony for Q4, full year 2005

For the year 2005, Avaya Inc has been identified as the global market leader in enterprise Internet Protocol (IP) telephony port shipments by Synergy Research Group`s Enterprise VOIP Equipment Report for Q4 2005.

The report shows Avaya leading in IP port shipments for the ninth consecutive quarter (as defined by Synergy) with 20% of the global market in the fourth quarter of 2005; Avaya also led for the third consecutive year in IP port shipments with 21% for the full year. In addition, Avaya led in IP telephony revenues for the fourth quarter with 23.1%, according to the report.

Bridget Kelly, Country Manager of Avaya for Sub-Saharan Africa, says: "The enterprise IP telephony market is a competitive one, as there is a definite opportunity in the market and competing brands continue to try and gain a larger market share. However, Avaya is working hard to maintain its large and loyal customer base, and it is clear from the report that the strategy and plans of the organisation are working effectively."

For its first fiscal quarter, ended on 31 December 2005, Avaya reported that revenue rose 8.8% over the year ago quarter, including the first full quarter contribution from the company`s acquisition of Tenovis in Europe. During the quarter, the company also completed its eight millionth IP telephony line shipment, with nearly one million IP port shipments in the quarter alone.

Says Kelly: "For the last two years Avaya has maintained its position as the global market leader. These results show that customers around the world who want to improve business processes and support networks are increasingly turning to Avaya Intelligent Communication solutions."

IP telephony is software-based technology that uses voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) to transmit voice over a data network. Companies are adopting this rapidly expanding technology to help reduce costs and take advantage of advanced business communications applications that foster intelligent communications for improved business processes and enhance the efficiency of communications networks.

Avaya offers one of the industry`s most comprehensive portfolios of solutions for IP telephony - Avaya MultiVantage Communications Applications - with a flexible architecture that helps enable enterprises to design a communications roadmap that supports their business needs.

Supported by Avaya Global Services and a network of authorised Avaya BusinessPartners and DeveloperConnection technology partners, the portfolio brings together Avaya`s applications for telephony, contact centres and mobility, and features Avaya Communication Manager, the company`s flagship IP telephony software.

With the suite, businesses have access to a single portfolio of open standards-based applications that extends Avaya`s IP telephony software across enterprise operations and employee functions.