Intellectual Property Veteran Formally Introduces PowerBridge Networks and Announces Acquisition of Strategic Avaya Networking Patent Portfolio

READING, Pa., April 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Intellectual property industry leader Dr. Donald Bitting today formally introduced PowerBridge Networks, LLC, and announced that the company has acquired the Networking patent portfolio from Avaya, a global leader in cloud communications and customer experience solutions. The portfolio of foundational patents in enterprise networking technologies comprises more than 500 patents and patent applications across approximately 390 patent families, with global coverage including U.S. patents, international filings, and foreign counterparts in key markets worldwide.

The newly formed PowerBridge Networks acquires, manages, and licenses foundational patent portfolios created by innovators of all sizes, empowering them to focus on their core competencies by monetizing non-core intellectual assets. Streamlining the IP secondary market also provides companies and their customers access to the latest best-in-class inventions with responsible, efficient patent licensing that advances sustainable growth. PowerBridge achieves these benefits with an agile business model that utilizes the expertise of leaders throughout the IP industry, including one of the world's largest commercial finance providers, several internationally recognized law firms, as well as IP consulting, engineering, and analysis firms.

"PowerBridge aims to bridge the gap between initial discovery and market adoption. Not every inventor or corporate research department has the background, expertise, and connections to license their technology to implementers around the world, so our team provides that specialized service to enable broad industry access while creating stakeholder value," said Dr. Donald Bitting, Founder and CEO, PowerBridge Networks. "Avaya's networking patents embody pioneering work that underpins reliable, high-performance enterprise and cloud systems, and we look forward to licensing these valuable assets to technology and manufacturing companies worldwide."

Dr. Bitting brings more than two decades of experience in intellectual property strategy, portfolio development, and patent monetization to PowerBridge. He held leadership positions at Strong Force Innovation Portfolios and served as a key member of the IP strategy team at IBM, where he gained firsthand experience working within one of the most prolific and sophisticated patent operations in the world. Dr. Bitting developed relationships throughout the IP industry during his earlier roles at SIM IP, Ofinno, General Electric, LSI Logic, and AT&T Bell Laboratories.

"Tech+IP has been a trusted advisor to Avaya across multiple stages of its IP strategy, from valuing its patent portfolio and identifying opportunities during restructuring to supporting the strategic sale of assets in the secondary market," said Ed Fish of Tech+IP Finance. "Following the sale of Avaya's Networking Business Unit to Extreme Networks, we led a competitive process for a significant portfolio of networking patents that were no longer core to Avaya's forward strategy. PowerBridge ultimately emerged as the successful acquirer, and we were pleased to work closely with Don and his highly experienced team throughout the process. Given their strong track record in patent monetization, we are confident these networking innovations will continue to generate meaningful value in their next phase."

Several dominant US-based technology companies have licensed the Avaya Networking portfolio, and PowerBridge plans to continue pursuing fair and collaborative licensing opportunities across telecom, enterprise IT, and adjacent sectors. Avaya's divestiture of this patent portfolio to PowerBridge follows a pattern of strategic IP transactions in the communications space, including Avaya's prior VoIP portfolio divestiture in 2024. These transactions align with Avaya's strategic shift toward cloud-centric offerings, allowing the company to invest in core priorities while these non-core networking assets transition to new stewardship.

Building on this foundation, PowerBridge is organizing its acquired assets into focused portfolios aligned with key layers of networking infrastructure. One such portfolio, PulseLink Systems, represents a collection of foundational networking innovations centered on control-plane intelligence, traffic management, and secure connectivity. These technologies underpin how modern networks are configured, optimized, and operated at scale. Rooted in assets with Nortel heritage, PulseLink reflects PowerBridge's broader approach of structuring portfolios around distinct domains of critical infrastructure, with future portfolios expected to expand this model across adjacent technology areas.

About PowerBridge Networks, LLC
PowerBridge Networks, LLC is an intellectual property licensing firm that acquires, manages, and licenses fundamental patent portfolios in key technology sectors to maximize return on innovation for inventors and provide manufacturers access to best-in-class inventions. PowerBridge empowers innovators to focus on their core competencies by creating a path to value for non-core intellectual assets. PowerBridge partners with leaders in commercial finance, IP consulting, legal, engineering, and analysis to streamline responsible, efficient patent licensing that advances sustainable growth. For more information, please visit www.powerbridgenetworks.com.

SOURCE PowerBridge Networks