The Silver-certified status of Black Box recognizes its capabilities in the sale, design, implementation and maintenance of Avaya systems, software, and solutions. In addition, Silver-certified Channel Partners must meet rigorous service delivery and customer satisfaction criteria, develop comprehensive marketing plans, and meet annual revenue commitments for the sale of Avaya solutions and services.

Black Box believes that diversification is a key element in today's multi-vendor environment. Communications integrators with diverse portfolios, like Black Box, can offer clients more choices, which in turn can lead to more effective technology decision-making, planning, and implementation.

"Integrators are a vital component of the enterprise communications value proposition," said Christine Tenneson, Research Director at Gartner. "The strength of the relationship between the client and the integrator not only translates into an invaluable asset to the client but also the manufacturer. Integrators who can maintain strong customer relationships while fostering solid manufacturer partnerships can often offer clients the best options."

"We are very excited to become an Avaya Channel Partner," said Terry Blakemore, Black Box's president and chief executive officer. "As a market leader in the enterprise communications space, the addition of Avaya's cutting edge solutions to our portfolio creates another very compelling technology option for enterprise customers. Our relationship with Avaya backed by Black Box's global footprint, diverse capabilities, 30-plus year history, and deep commitment to outstanding support make this partnership a winning combination."

About Black Box

Black Box is the world's largest technical services company dedicated to designing, building, and maintaining today's complicated data and voice infrastructure systems. Black Box services more than 175,000 clients in 141 countries with 194 offices throughout the world. To learn more, visit the Black Box Web site at http://www.blackbox.com.

Black Box(R) and the Double Diamond logo are registered trademarks of BB Technologies, Inc. Any third-party trademarks appearing in this press release are acknowledged to be the property of their respective owners.

About Avaya

Avaya is a global leader in enterprise communications systems. The company provides unified communications, contact centers, and related services directly and through its channel partners to leading businesses and organizations around the world. Enterprises of all sizes depend on Avaya for state-of-the-art communications that improve efficiency, collaboration, customer service, and competitiveness. For more information please visit www.avaya.com.

SOURCE: Black Box Corporation

Black Box Corporation 
Gary Doyle, 724-873-6788 
Director -- Investor Relations 
E-mail: investors@blackbox.com

About Avaya

Avaya is a global leader in enterprise communications systems. The company provides unified communications, contact centers, and related services directly and through its channel partners to leading businesses and organizations around the world. Enterprises of all sizes depend on Avaya for state-of-the-art communications that improve efficiency, collaboration, customer service and competitiveness. For more information please visit http://www.avaya.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this press release are forward looking statements. These statements may be identified by the use of forward looking terminology such as "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "might," "plan," "potential," "predict," "should" or "will" or other similar terminology. We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections. While we believe these expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections are reasonable, such forward looking statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control. These and other important factors may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Some of the key factors that could cause actual results to differ from our expectations include: our ability to develop and sell advanced communications products and services, including unified communications and contact center solutions; our ability to develop our indirect sales channel; economic conditions and the willingness of enterprises to make capital investments; the market for advanced communications products and services, including unified communications solutions; our ability to remain competitive in the markets we serve; our ability to manage our supply chain and logistics functions; the complexity of our IT infrastructure; the ability to protect our intellectual property and avoid claims of infringement; our ability to effectively integrate acquired businesses into ours; our ability to maintain adequate security over our information systems; environmental, health and safety laws, regulations, costs and other liabilities; the ability to retain and attract key employees; risks relating to the transaction of business internationally; pension and post-retirement healthcare and life insurance liabilities; and liquidity and our access to capital markets. We caution you that the foregoing list of important factors may not contain all of the material factors that are important to you. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as otherwise required by law.

Lynn Newman, +1-908-953-8692, lynnnewman@avaya.com

Avaya is a US-based provider of communication systems, applications and services, while Nortel is a Canada-based provider of networking products and solutions.

Update on November 11, 2009:

Avaya has granted early termination of the antitrust waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 for the proposed acquisition of Nortel's global enterprise solutions business.

Update on September 16, 2009:

Avaya has received an approval from the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware and the Ontario Superior Court of Justice to acquire substantially all the assets of Nortel's global enterprise solutions business.

Update on September 14, 2009:

Avaya has won the bid to acquire substantially all the assets of Nortel Networks Corporation's global enterprise solutions business as well as the shares of Nortel Government Solutions Incorporated and DiamondWare, Ltd. for $900 million in cash, with an additional pool of $15 million reserved for an employee retention program.

Announcement (July 20, 2009):

Avaya has signed an agreement to acquire Nortel's enterprise solutions business for $475 million.

The proposed acquisition includes the Nortel's enterprise solutions voice, data, and government systems businesses.

Rumor (March 12, 2009):

According to Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal reported that Avaya along with a private equity consortium is planning to acquire the enterprise unit of Nortel.

Reportedly, Siemens Enterprise Communications and Gores Group LLC, a private-equity firm, are also interested in acquiring the enterprise unit of Nortel.

Nortel had filed for bankruptcy protection in January 2009. The company is planning to sell its core wireless-equipment business and its enterprise unit.

Citigroup and Duff & Phelps, LLC are acting as financial advisors, while Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP and Ropes & Gray LLP are acting as legal advisors to Avaya.

Deal Value (US$ Million) 475
Deal Type                Acquisition
Sub-Category             Asset Purchase
Deal Status              Announced: 2009-07-20

Deal Participants

Target (Company)   Nortel Networks Corporation - Enterprise Solutions Business
Acquirer (Company) Avaya, Inc.
Vendor (Company)   Nortel Networks Corporation

Deal Rationale

Avaya believes the agreement is a significant step in strengthening its business communications and positioning the company to effectively deliver its enterprise communications solutions to customers around the globe. The addition of Nortel's enterprise solutions will increase Avaya's global scale, expand its channel partner network, and strengthen its portfolio of products and services.

Avaya's selection as the PilotHouse Award winner was based on a survey of more than 1400 customers using unified communications solutions from Avaya, Cisco, IBM and Microsoft(R). Vendors were ranked in five categories: value, technology, customer service, integration, and management tools. Avaya received top scores in technology, integration and management tools and ranked second in value and customer service.

"Solving complex business problems requires the ability to collaborate effectively. Avaya focuses solely on providing communications solutions that enable our customers to do just that," said Alan Baratz, president, Global Communications Solutions, Avaya. "We are extremely pleased to receive the Nemertes PilotHouse Award since it means that our customers' experience reflects the goals we set for ourselves as their trusted communications partner."

"Implementing a unified communications strategy changes the way employees work and interact," said Irwin Lazar, vice president, Communications Research, Nemertes Research. "It can increase employee productivity and revenue while lowering costs. The Nemertes PilotHouse Award recognizes that Avaya is seen as the leading strategic partner by customers to helping them move their business forward using unified communications technologies."

The goal of the Nemertes PilotHouse Awards program is to determine how well vendors perform in the eyes of their business customers. Results are entirely based on the views and experiences of actual customers of unified communications vendors. There is no vendor sponsorship of the research.

About Avaya

Avaya is a global leader in enterprise communications systems. The company provides unified communications, contact centers, and related services directly and through its channel partners to leading businesses and organizations around the world. Enterprises of all sizes depend on Avaya for state-of-the-art communications that improve efficiency, collaboration, customer service and competitiveness. For more information please visit www.avaya.com.

Deb Kline
908-953-6179
klined@avaya.com

SOURCE: Avaya Inc.

mailto:klined@avaya.com