Avaya has annual revenues of more than $5 billion and has a payroll of 19,000

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Micheál Martin TD today announced that Avaya Inc., a global market leader in business communications and IP Telephony, is to establish an R&D Centre of Excellence at its Irish headquarters in Sandyford.

The Centre of Excellence will develop intelligent communications-enabled business applications. These applications will allow businesses to operate more productively and profitably. As Ireland’s largest provider of IP (internet protocol) communication solutions, Avaya now has a strong presence in Ireland from R&D through to sales, service and support. 

Some 55 new “talented” software engineers, particularly those experienced in web services and service oriented architecture, will be employed in the R&D Centre, bringing the total number of R&D employees based in Dublin to 110.  In total, Avaya now employs 170 people in Ireland.

The company’s client base ranges from large corporations such as O2 and Bank of Ireland through to smaller and medium sized businesses. Since the successful integration of Spectel, the Irish conferencing company which Avaya acquired in 2004, Avaya has trebled its investment in R&D in Ireland.

Commenting on the opening of the Centre of Excellence, Martin said: “The groundbreaking R&D that is driving this Centre of Excellence is in a new area of business for Avaya and as a result places the Dublin operation at the cutting edge of the company’s technological developments.  This project is very strategic for Avaya and will be key to all future R&D developments within the organisation.  Avaya Inc. is a company steeped in the rich R&D heritage of its former parent AT&T/Lucent Technologies.  The Government and IDA Ireland welcome this investment as it fits perfectly with the type of strategic R&D investments from international companies like Avaya Inc. which we continue to attract to Ireland.”

John Sharpe, Country Manager, Avaya, said: “Avaya is very excited to further enhance its R&D capability in Ireland. Innovation is key to keeping Avaya ahead in its quest to provide the very best communication solutions to its blue-chip client base. We believe our investment fits in well with Ireland’s move towards a fully fledged knowledge economy.  As a result, we will begin recruiting immediately for the R&D Centre of Excellence to keep Avaya in its market leadership position”.