Avaya Inc. (NYSE:AV) a global leader in business communications applications, systems and services, has announced the regional availability of Avaya Meeting Exchange Express - an audio conferencing software solution for midsize companies that is well-integrated with Web conferencing and other client applications from Microsoft, IBM and Adobe.

 The ability to organize and conduct conference calls at a moment's notice will enable businesses in the Middle East to quickly address changing business needs and customer requirements, using Intelligent Communications to gain competitive advantage while helping to reduce costs. Avaya Middle East estimates that companies in the Middle East are currently spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in conference call charges and travel expenses given the regional nature of business here.

 'Based on analysis of several years of actual global customer data in conjunction with industry-reported cost-per-minute service provider averages, Avaya has concluded that companies spending $2,500 or more on monthly outsourced conferencing fees can realize return on investment within 10 months and can save an average of $1,400 per month by switching to Meeting Exchange Express. This solution is particularly relevant for the Middle East, where companies have branch offices throughout the Gulf, Levant, and North Africa region,' said Roger El Tawil, channel and marketing director- MENA, Avaya.

 "Avaya 's Meeting Exchange Express, along with Avaya Customer Interaction Express contact centre solution, are sophisticated software applications that extend the capabilities of Avaya's portfolio for midsize businesses, which currently includes Avaya IP Office, Avaya MultiVantage Express and other Avaya Communication Manager-based offerings. The midsize business segment of the market is the fastest-growing opportunity for Avaya in the Middle East at present,'

he continued.

 Avaya is the global leader in audio conferencing port revenues. Avaya Meeting Exchange Express is based on the same software technology in Avaya's market-leading Meeting Exchange Enterprise, a conferencing solution used by enterprises and major Service Providers in the Middle East and worldwide.

 El Tawil added: 'The ability to collaborate with co-workers and customers in different locations in the Gulf and around the region is at the heart of Intelligent Communications. With easy-to-use interfaces for instant conferencing, as well as the ability to manage complex seminar-style collaborations, Avaya Meeting Exchange software helps businesses of all sizes speed decision-making and optimize their business operations.'

In configurations that support up to 300 simultaneous audio conference participants using a single server, Avaya Meeting Exchange Express software offers advanced functionality in a highly reliable, easy-to-implement, easy-to-manage, standards-based architecture that simplifies integration in multivendor networks. Using industry standards, such as Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) or traditional TDM, Meeting Exchange Express can connect to Avaya Communication Manager Internet Protocol (IP) telephony solution or virtually any other communications server or PBX.

'Businesses use audio conferencing to collaborate because it provides an easy, ad hoc way for people to connect using any phone, without the need for travel or specialized equipment. Audio conferencing traffic with no external moderator experienced double digit growth globally in 2006, and we expect this trend to continue. Business of all sizes are moving forward with their migration to unified communications, and premises-based conferencing solutions will play a significant role in this market,' added El Tawil.

 Meeting Exchange Express expands opportunities for members of Avaya's BusinessPartners, creating a new offering for the growing midsize business market. Built on standard platforms, with repeatable deployment procedures, and functionality to meet a wide range of customer needs, Meeting Exchange Express provides Avaya authorized channel partners with a new tool to help customers take advantage of IP telephony .