BASKING RIDGE, N.J., Jan. 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Avaya Inc. (NYSE:AV) today announced a tender offer by its wholly-owned subsidiary to acquire Ubiquity Software Corporation plc . Ubiquity's core software product is one of the leading software platforms for the development and delivery of SIP end-user applications.
The offer price is 37.3
pence in cash for each Ubiquity share.
This values the entire issued and to be issued share capital of Ubiquity
at approximately GBP 74.3 million (approximately $144 million)(1) after
adjusting for the assumed proceeds from the exercise of options over Ubiquity
shares.
Ubiquity develops and
markets SIP-based communications software for fixed and mobile communications
service providers, systems integrators, independent software vendors and
channel partners. Ubiquity's range of products has been developed to take
advantage of the telecommunications industry's migration toward all-IP networks.
"We believe that the
addition of Ubiquity's next generation software platform to Avaya's portfolio
will help customers and developers enhance the integration of communications
technologies and business processes," said Micky Tsui, vice president, global
communications solutions, Avaya.
"We believe that Ubiquity bridges a wide range of fragmented
technologies that cost customers' money, time and speed-to-market."
Ian McLaren, chief executive
of Ubiquity, said, "The offer by Avaya marks an important milestone in the
development of Ubiquity. We believe that
there are strong synergies between Ubiquity's core software platform, service
creation framework and applications and Avaya's portfolio of enterprise products. As part of the Avaya group, we believe that
Ubiquity will be well positioned to gain access to Avaya's customer base and
the resources to exploit the opportunities we see in the emerging
telecommunications marketplace."
Transaction Details
The tender offer has been
unanimously recommended by the board of directors of Ubiquity. The offer is
being made by Avaya International Enterprises Limited, a wholly owned
subsidiary of Avaya, and is for all of the issued and to be issued ordinary
shares of Ubiquity. The tender offer
price is
37.3 pence for each Ubiquity
share. The purchase of Ubiquity shares
in the tender offer is expected to be funded with Avaya's existing cash
resources.
Unless otherwise publicly
announced by Avaya, shareholders of Ubiquity must accept the offer within 20
business days of the date that the tender offer document is mailed to Ubiquity
shareholders. The tender offer is subject to standard terms and conditions,
including, but not limited to, the making of any necessary governmental or
regulatory filings. A copy of the formal
announcement containing a summary of the terms and conditions of the offer may
be found on Avaya's website (http://www.avaya.com/)
under the section titled "Press Room."(2)
(1) Calculated using an exchange rate of GBP
1=US$1.9437, the
Citibank Noon bench mark rate on January
11, 2007.
(2) Information located on Avaya's websites
is not incorporated by
reference in, or considered to be a part
of, this release.
About Avaya
Avaya Inc. designs, builds
and manages communications networks for more than one million businesses
worldwide, including more than 90 percent of the FORTUNE 500(R). Focused on
businesses large to small, Avaya is a world leader in secure and reliable Internet
Protocol telephony systems and communications software applications and
services.
Driving the convergence of
voice and data communications with business applications -- and distinguished
by comprehensive worldwide services -- Avaya helps customers leverage existing
and new networks to achieve superior business results. For more information visit the Avaya website:
http://www.avaya.com/.
About Ubiquity
Ubiquity Software
Corporation plc, listed on the AIM Market of the London Stock Exchange,
develops and markets SIP-based communications software to service providers,
ISVs and OEMs around the world. Its award-winning SIP Application Server (SIP
A/S) is both a carrier-class deployment platform and a programmable, standards-based
application creation environment (ACE) that allows customers to develop and
deploy next-generation converged communications services. Ubiquity assists customers to accelerate the
creation of customised SIP applications through its Professional Services
Organisation. The company is
headquartered in Cardiff and has corporate
offices in the US and Canada and representation in Japan and China. For more information, please visit www.ubiquitysoftware.com or email info@ubiquitysoftware.com.
This news release contains
forward-looking statements related to the effect of the Ubiquity acquisition on
Avaya's results and business that is based on current expectations, forecasts
and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual
outcomes and results to differ materially. These risks and uncertainties
include, but are not limited to, the ability to successfully integrate the
Ubiquity acquisition or other acquisitions, general industry market conditions
and growth rates and general domestic and international economic conditions
including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations and the
economic, political, and other risks associated with non-U.S. sales and
operations, U.S. and non-U.S. government regulation, price and product
competition, rapid or disruptive technological development, issues related to
our supply chain, the ability to integrate Ubiquity's products with, and
leverage Ubiquity's products in the development of, Avaya's products,
dependence on new product development, the successful and timely introduction
of new products, risks related to inventory, the mix of products and services,
customer demand for products and services, control of costs and expenses, the
ability to attract and retain qualified employees and the ability to form and
implement alliances.
For a further list and
description of such risks and uncertainties, see the reports filed by Avaya
with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Avaya disclaims any intention
or obligation to update or revise any forward- looking statements, whether as a
result of new information, future events or otherwise.
This news release does not
constitute an offer to sell or invitation to purchase any securities or the
solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, pursuant to the proposed offer
or otherwise. The tender offer will be
made solely by the formal offer document and the related form of acceptance
accompanying the formal offer document, which will contain the full terms and
conditions of the offer, including details of how the offer may be accepted.
The availability of the
offer to Ubiquity shareholders who are not resident in the UK may be
affected by the laws of the relevant jurisdictions in which they are located or
of which they are citizens. Such persons
should inform themselves of and observe any applicable legal or regulatory
requirements of their jurisdictions.
Further details in relation to overseas shareholders will be set out in
the formal offer document.
FCMN Contact:
lynnnewman@avaya.com
Source: Avaya Inc.
CONTACT: media, Lynn Newman, +1-908-953-8692, or cell
+1-908-672-1321, or lynnnewman@avaya.com, or investors, Matt Booher,
+1-908-953-7500, or mbooher@avaya.com, both of Avaya Inc.
Web site: http://www.avaya.com/
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