Avaya Named One of the "World's Most Ethical Companies"

BASKING RIDGE, NJ, Apr 06 (MARKET WIRE) --
Avaya, a leading global provider of business communications applications,
systems and services, has been recognized for the fourth year in a row by
the Ethisphere Institute as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies
(WME). Out of a record number of nominations for the award, Avaya secured
a spot on the list by implementing initiatives to drive understanding of
the importance of ethics at all levels of the organization and
maintaining high ethical standards in business practices.

"Avaya is honored to be recognized as one of the World's Most Ethical
Companies for our efforts to build a corporation on a solid ethical
foundation," said Kevin Kennedy, president and CEO, Avaya. "We believe
that a commitment to ethics must permeate our company at every level and
is fundamental to the value we bring to customers."

Through in-depth research and a multi-step analysis, Ethisphere reviewed
thousands of nominations from companies in over 100 countries and 36
industries in order to determine the winners.

The methodology for the WME ranking includes reviewing codes of ethics,
litigation and regulatory infraction histories; evaluating the investment
in innovation and sustainable business practices; looking at activities
designed to improve corporate citizenship; and studying nominations from
senior executives, industry peers, suppliers and customers.

"Avaya's promotion of a sound ethical environment shines within its
industry and shows a clear understanding that operating under the highest
standards for business behavior goes beyond goodwill and 'lip-service'
and is intimately linked to performance and profitability," said Alex
Brigham, Executive Director of the Ethisphere Institute. "This year's
World's Most Ethical Companies award was more competitive than ever,
because companies realize that making ethics a priority is critical
amidst a tough economic environment."

Brigham added, "Compliance or ethics failures add up to more than fees,
fines and penalties. The leadership distraction and turnover, forced
alteration of a working profit model and heightened scrutiny that result
show: good ethics means better business."

A sampling of other winners include: Aflac, American Express, Campbell
Soup, the Ford Motor Company, Henkel, General Electric, Google, L'Oreal,
Nike, PepsiCo, Starbucks, Standard Charter Bank, UPS, Whole Foods Market
and Xerox.

This is the fourth year Ethisphere, a think-tank dedicated to the
creation, advancement and sharing of best practices in business ethics,
corporate social responsibility, anti-corruption and sustainability, has
published the WME rankings, which appear in Ethisphere Magazine's Q1
issue, which came out in March. Avaya has maintained a position on the
list every year since the initial publication of the WME rankings in
2007.

Read about the methodology and view the complete list of the 2010 World's
Most Ethical Companies at http://ethisphere.com/wme-2010.

About Avaya
Avaya is a global leader in enterprise communications
systems. The company provides unified communications, contact centers,
and related services directly and through its channel partners to leading
businesses and organizations around the world. Enterprises of all sizes
depend on Avaya for state-of-the-art communications that improve
efficiency, collaboration, customer service and competitiveness. For more
information please visit www.avaya.com.

About Ethisphere Institute
The research-based Ethisphere Institute is a
leading international think tank dedicated to the creation, advancement
and sharing of best practices in business ethics, corporate social
responsibility, anti corruption and sustainability. The Institute's
associated membership group, the Ethisphere Council, is a forum for
business ethics that includes over 200 leading corporations, universities
and institutions. The Ethisphere Council is dedicated to the development
and advancement of individuals on its membership council through
increased efficiency, innovation, tools, mentoring, advice, and unique
career opportunities. Ethisphere magazine, which publishes the globally
recognized World's Most Ethical Companies Ranking(TM), is the quarterly
publication of the Institute. More information on the Ethisphere
Institute, including ranking projects and membership, can be found at
www.ethisphere.com.

Ethisphere Contact:
Emily Parker
(212) 446-1889
eparker@sloanepr.com

Avaya Contact:
Deb Kline
(908) 953-6179
klined@avaya.com

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