Avaya Acquires Nimcat Networks

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. - Avaya Inc. has acquired Nimcat Networks, a developer of embedded, peer-to-peer IP (Internet Protocol) communications applications software.

Nimcat Networks' IP communications software, currently called nimX, is designed to be embedded within enterprise IP phones. 

Avaya acquired Nimcat Networks for approximately CAD$46 million in cash. Nimcat Networks is privately held and headquartered in Ottawa.

Avaya said it expects the acquisition to be one cent dilutive in the company's fourth fiscal quarter, primarily related to approximately $3.2 million of in-process research and development costs.  Research and development plans include incorporating Nimcat Networks software into Avaya IP telephony offers.  This process is expected to take up to 12 months, after which Avaya will release its first integrated Nimcat Networks-based product.

The nimX plug-and-play software includes telephony features and applications such as voicemail, conferencing and auto-attendant.  Installation requires the that the users plug the IP phones into the same data network used by office personal computers.  The phones find each other, connect to each other and initialize their features. Users can be added by plugging another phone into the network.

Each phone has its own software and back up data for other phones, so if one phone fails the others continue to work.  Nimcat Networks software is based on the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP.

Avaya said Nimcat Networks will be part of its Global Communications Solutions group.  The company expects to continue selling Nimcat Networks' software to other equipment manufacturers and to support existing Nimcat Networks customers.