Avaya is not just the company that makes the phone on the work desk of several executives. The California-based telecom equipment giant is slowly but steadily diversifying its offerings in recent years to include artificial intelligence and so on.

According to Vishal Agrawal, Managing Director (India and SAARC), Avaya India is working closely with State governments on providing emergency response systems and work on digitisation of education initiatives as major target areas.

This apart, the technology company has started focussing on areas like implementing digital transformation strategies for its clients.

Avaya reported $4 billion (approx) in revenues globally last year (ending September 2015).

The company does not share India or region-specific numbers. But India is amongst the top 10 markets (by revenue). Growth in investments in India has been in the “early double digits” over the last few years.

“In the last few quarters, we have changed the dynamics completely,” he told BusinessLine.

Government projects As Agrawal puts it, government projects are being seen as major growth drivers. Accordingly, engagements with State governments have gone up.

While 15-20 per cent of the firm’s India revenues are from government projects, the number is expected to go up to the “late 20 to 30 per cent” in the next 18 to 24 months.

For example, the company is working closely with two State governments – Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh – to ensure implementation of an emergency response system (dialling the no 100). This will be an updated system with faster response time. Avaya is also in discussions with 10 other different State government representatives for implementation of this system.

“Volume of growth in the government sector will be high; but not necessarily fast. Faster growth will come only when we start replicating success stories,” he further added.

The multi-national communications solutions provider is also looking to offer solutions and not just products, according to him. .

Smart City solutions Avaya, if Agrawal is to be believed, is keen to work and develop on the smart city projects. But these are in “very nascent stages”.

He points out that solutions will not be a one size fits all type offering. Rather, it will be different solutions across categories that will then be stitched together.

The tipping point will be “smart offices” followed by “smart buildings”; a smart campus and then it will all be culminated into a smart city.

However, basics of smart cities like emergency response system, traffic system and so on will start coming in over the new two-to-three years, he adds.

The writer was in Dubai at the invitation of Avaya.

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