Pune: Avaya, a global provider of business communications applications, systems and services, has announced the appointment of Sam (Samir) Gulve as Managing Director, Avaya India and Vice President of Avaya's Global Communication Solutions (GCS) division. The move is part of the expansion of its R&D operations in Pune to increase its foothold in India.

Since 2005, Avaya’s R&D operations in India have been witnessing a significant growth. The company is now expanding its operations in the western part of the country with the goal of tapping the vast talent pool of developers available and subsequently strengthening its technical expertise & offerings in the area of business communications applications.

Commenting on these developments, Mark Leigh, President, Avaya Asia Pacific said, "India has been identified as one of the high-growth markets for Avaya. This region represents a huge potential for Avaya, in terms of talent growth. We will continue to build our capabilities and enhance our geographic presence here as part of our globalization drive. Sam's extensive experience in the telecom industry will play a key role in the growth that we see here. He will be responsible for developing Avaya’s R&D strategy in India to globally manage off-shore work."

Prior to joining Avaya, Gulve was senior Vice President, software and technology for Amdocs, a leader in business and support software for the telecom industry. At Amdocs, which he joined in 2004, he was a member of the management team that scaled the organization in India from 50 to more than 3000 in just over three years, while maintaining the highest standards of quality and delivery. Gulve has extensive experience in the telecom industry, having spent eight years at AT&T Bell Laboratories in various roles in R&D, engineering and product management. He also has an entrepreneurial background having co-founded Shakti Systems. Previously, Gulve has held leadership positions in companies such as SSA, Netscape, Calico Commerce, Consolidated Commerce and CDI.

Gulve said "With the expansion of the Avaya R&D centre in Pune and the new GSD facility in Hyderabad, Avaya is well placed to take advantage of the many opportunities in India. I am looking forward to the prospect of building globally, the largest R&D presence for Avaya in India."