Avaya Buys Spectel for $103 Million

Avaya, a global provider of business communications software, systems and services, has completed the purchase of Spectel, a maker of audio and web conferencing solutions, for approximately $103 million in cash.

The purchase will allow Avaya to expand its conferencing capabilities by combining its existing conferencing products with Spectel's on-premise and service provider conferencing solutions. It will market the new solutions under the name Avaya Meeting Exchange.

Additionally, Avaya will integrate Spectel technology with its own Internet Protocol (IP) telephony applications suite to provide expanded converged conferencing capabilities. Converged conferencing brings together Web, video, audio and data conferencing on an IP network. Avaya claims that demand for advanced collaboration applications is expected to grow as adoption of IP telephony in enterprises continues to expand.

"Avaya has enjoyed a fruitful relationship with Spectel for more than four years," Michael Thurk, Avaya group vice president, Enterprise Communications Group said in a statement. "We have had proven success with customers in the past, and with the addition of Spectel's talented staff of experts and leading technology assets, we believe the new combined conferencing solutions team is positioned to provide exciting and innovative applications in the future."