Genband celebrates Nortel acquisition with good works

A year after buying a Nortel Networks business unit in Research Triangle Park, a Texas technology company is doing philanthropy to mark the anniversary of the acquisition that saved several hundred jobs in the Triangle.

Genband, which acquired 500 Nortel employees in the deal, is dedicating Wednesday to public service and volunteerism to commemorate its $282 million acquisition of Nortel's CVAS unit. The techno-acronym stands for Carrier VoIP and Applications Solution.

To date more than 200 Genband workers at RTP have signed up for eleemosynary projects with Habitat for Humanity, Food Bank of Central Eastern N.C. and local Red Cross branches. That's over 40 percent of the local workforce.

About 1,000 Genband workers are volunteering worldwide, while the rest have a day off. Genband has named June 1 a permanent company public service holiday.

The company's workforce numbers at about 500 in RTP and 3,000 worldwide, including contractors.

In Texas, the Nortel acquisition is a bigger deal than it is in the Triangle. At Genband's headquarters in Frisco, Texas, the mayor and other public officials are planning join company employees at the Frisco Rough Riders Baseball stadium to celebrate the anniversary and meet with representatives of local charities.

Genband employees are also planning to celebrate and volunteer at Genband offices outside London, in Galway (Ireland), Hong Kong and Shanghai.

The idea for a day of volunteerism came from the employees, the company said. Genband had originally planned to give its workers a day off to reward them for a successful acquisition.

In a press release, Genband CEO Charlie Vogt praised the company's smooth integration of the Nortel CVAS force.

Genband makes Internet technology used by telecommunications companies.