Avaya and Research in Motion this week said they are developing an offering to allow BlackBerry users to make VoIP calls over a Wi-Fi-enabled Avaya IP PBX.

The BlackBerry 7270 Wireless Handhelds — based on 802.11 radio technology instead of cellular — can now work with an Avaya IP PBX, allowing users to make calls and access voice system features similar to those available to desktop IP phone users. The WLAN-based BlackBerries can be useful to end users who need to access e-mail and voice while moving around a large campus environment with WLAN coverage.

The Avaya/BlackBerry system involves Avaya’s Communication Manager IP PBX server, as well as Avaya’s SIP-based Converged Communications Server, which allows SIP devices and softphones to access Avaya IP PBX features. Avaya SIP client software running on the BlackBerry 7270 allows the device to link to the IP PBX via Wi-Fi.

Enterprises would also be required to run a BlackBerry server along with the Avaya voice server platforms. The two companies are in the final stages of interoperability testing, the vendors say, with availability expected later this year.

With its BlackBerry 7270 support, Avaya joins 3Com and Nortel, which announced plans to support the WLAN-based BlackBerry in February on their respective IP PBX platforms.