Avaya Inc. is saving about 500 Nortel Networks’ Dallas-area jobs.

Avaya last year bought Nortel’s enterprise division and picked up 6,000 workers as a result. Now it turns out the privately held equipment maker also is taking on hundreds sales, customer support, finance and other employees in Texas. The decision brings to 700 the number of people Avaya employs in Texas.

Todd Abbott, senior vice president of sales at New Jersey-based Avaya, told the Dallas Morning News that the customers, technology, suppliers and workers Avaya acquired should help the company grow – so much so that an initial public offering could be in the works.

Abbott also told the newspaper Avaya is working hard to integrate the former Nortel workers smoothly, and to let them know they’re not taken for granted.

“Any great company is all about the people,” Abbott told the Dallas Morning News.

For now, the Nortel workers continue to report from original offices in Richardson, Texas, but soon will move over to Avaya’s buildings in Coppell.