[31.10.2006 first posted on silicon republic]
The communications and network equipment maker Avaya is to open a new research and development (R&D) centre of excellence in at its Irish headquarters in Dublin.

The centre, which is being set up with support from IDA Ireland, was announced by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Micheál Martin TD. The facility will develop intelligent communications-enabled business applications.
According to a statement from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, the centre will employ 55 new software engineers, with a focus on those with experience in web services and service-oriented architecture.. This will bring the number of R&D staff at Avaya to 110. In total, Avaya now employs 170 people in Ireland.
Avaya claimed it has trebled its R&D investment in this country since completing the integration of Spectel, the Irish conferencing technology company it acquired two years ago. Avaya’s Irish customer base includes large enterprises such as Bank of Ireland, Conduit, Ulster Bank, IBM and O2 as well as small and medium-sized businesses.
Commenting on the opening of the centre, Minister 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.”
John Sharpe, country manager for Avaya in Ireland, added that recruitment for the new centre would begin immediately.
By Gordon Smith