The Enterprise Networks Group, soon to be spun off from Lucent Technologies, has announced that it will be called Avaya. The group employs 35,000 people worldwide, almost one in four of Lucent's workforce. The business division, which provides e-commerce and communications solutions for enterprises, particularly in call/contact centres and the messaging market, brought in $8 billion in revenue in the year to the end of September 1999.

Some 200 of Lucent's employees in the Republic will be part of the new company which will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange in October. Lucent, originally a spin-off itself from AT&T, is the most widely held stock in the US. Shareholders will receive shares in Avaya when the company is separated. The compensation package for employees will vary from region to region and the deal for Irish workers has yet to be decided. "We have to ensure that we attract and retain the right people and the compensation package will reflect that," Mr John Winchester, managing director of Lucent UK and Ireland said.