Network technology group Avaya has denied reports it is shutting down its research and development team, but refused to confirm if any staff lost their positions in a reshuffle.
The statement comes after reports on websites including IT Wire claimed the research and development branch of the company has been shut down,with several staff told by service vice president Martin Ingram they have one month to wrap up projects.
Avaya spokesman Kevin Crouch has said the company is moving some of its operations around, but that research will still be a core component of the company.
“Research and development is certainly not closing down. What the company has done has refocused on some products in the research and development section. It remains a key area for the company and nothing will change that.”
“What the company has done is realigned some of its positions on some things. There was a need to do that on a global basis, and they have instead focused on some products that needed more attention. But this is still within research and development.”
However, Crouch did not confirm nor deny reports there had been lay-offs at the company, and refused to reveal information about the specific products being researched.
“This realignment is just so the company can put resources on products that are best for the future. So roles have been moved around a little bit.”
“The company has a long tradition of research and development in the labs, and it’s very much an important focus of the company. The company certainly has no intention of closing the research and development labs down.”
The claims come as reports on news site ITWire state some of the company’s workforce have been hit with news their projects will be ending within weeks.
Additionally, the report claims on Monday, 1 February, most staff were told of the redundancies and have been given one month to finish any projects.It also says Tom Marinov from recruitment firm MCS Consulting has spoken with some of the staff made redundant in regards to new roles.
Marinov has told SmartCompany the redundancies have occurred, but only affected a small group of workers.
“The group is downsizing, because it was too small. There have been redundancies, but the staff are on board with the whole thing. There is good morale, and they were not simply walked out the door.”
Avaya Australia first started in 1925 by American-based telco AT&T, when it was named Bell Labs. It was spun off in 1996 as Lucent Technologies, when its staff focused on research and development for telephone technology.
The lab operated under this name before it separated its business systems department as Avaya in 2000, when it was subsequently named Avaya Labs. Avaya once counted about 100 employees in the Sydney labs, but Crouch would not confirm how many staff currently work at the location.
Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
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