Frost & Sullivan Names Verizon Business Premier North American Provider of Managed IP Telephony Services

Frost & Sullivan, a leading industry consulting firm, has awarded Verizon Business the 2009 North American Enterprise Telephony Equipment Implementation and Management Customer Value Enhancement Award.

The Frost & Sullivan award recognizes Verizon Business' demonstrated ability to expand its customer base through the creation of innovative managed IP telephony services that meet the requirements of large-business and government customers.  In selecting Verizon Business for the award, Frost & Sullivan measured the company's market growth and customer satisfaction success.

"The value proposition for managed services could not be clearer, especially during these challenging economic times," said Nancy Gofus, senior vice president - global business products, Verizon.  "This award from Frost & Sullivan underscores Verizon Business' efforts to deliver and implement the types of managed services customers want.  Managed IP telephony is an essential cornerstone of unified communications and collaboration, and the outlook for further adoption is strong as more enterprises deploy advanced collaboration tools to streamline business processes and enhance employee productivity."

Verizon Business' IP telephony portfolio comprises platforms from many leading equipment manufacturers, including Alcatel-Lucent, Avaya, Cisco, NEC, Nortel and Siemens. To help enterprises navigate the complexities associated with building and supporting advanced IP networks and applications, Verizon Business offers comprehensive deployment, implementation and management services, as well as professional services support.  The company has more than 3,100 expert field technicians who work closely with customers to provide staging, installation and integration services. 

"Our research clearly shows that Verizon Business is taking an industry-leadership role in the development and delivery of managed IP telephony services," said Imran Khan, research analyst, Frost & Sullivan.  "Verizon Business' commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction - underpinned by relationships with leading technology providers, strong technical acumen and its own robust professional services capabilities - position the company well for future gains, especially as enterprise customers look to deploy advanced collaboration solutions."

The Frost & Sullivan Customer Value Enhancement Award also highlights Verizon Business' management platform, IMPACT, and its industry-leading service level commitments for managed network services.  IMPACT is a robust portal that enables complete visibility into networks.  The platform's rapid fault-isolation capabilities result in faster problem identification and resolution.

"Our large-business and government customers continually look for ways to maximize their IT dollars," said Blair Crump, group president - worldwide sales, Verizon Business.  "Managed services are an attractive option for many customers, both in terms of augmenting internal resources and shifting day-to-day network management functions to a trusted partner so that internal staff can focus on core business activities.  This recognition from Frost & Sullivan validates the trust that thousands of our customers have placed in our managed services capabilities."

In total, Verizon Business offers a global CPE catalog of more than 300,000 communications devices, reflecting nearly 200 agreements reached with leading technology and specialty services providers over the past 25 years.  Qualifying enterprises also have the option of working with Verizon Credit, Verizon's wholly owned financing subsidiary, to secure affordable and flexible financing terms and increased buying power as enterprises look to accelerate their transition to advanced IP technology.

Verizon Business manages 270,000-plus security, network and hosting devices across more than 4,000 customer networks spanning 142 countries and territories.

About Frost & Sullivan Customer Value Enhancement Award
The Customer Value Enhancement Award is presented each year to the company that has best demonstrated the ability to expand its customer base, while maintaining its existing customer base, with more innovative value creation and enhancement strategies than competing vendors.  This award recognizes the company's successful sales entry, customer acquisition and service strategies, and the degree to which those strategies have met customers' stated needs and requirements.  Such strategies are expected to significantly improve customer interaction and contribute to customer satisfaction.

About Frost & Sullivan
Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, enables clients to accelerate growth and achieve best in class positions in growth, innovation and leadership. The company's Growth Partnership Service provides the CEO and the CEO's Growth Team with disciplined research and best practice models to drive the generation, evaluation and implementation of powerful growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan leverages over 45 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from 31 offices on six continents. To join our Growth Partnership, please visit http://www.frost.com.

About Verizon Business
Verizon Business, a unit of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ), is a global leader in communications and IT solutions. We combine professional expertise with the world's most connected IP network to deliver award-winning communications, IT, information security and network solutions.  We securely connect today's extended enterprises of widespread and mobile customers, partners, suppliers and employees - enabling them to increase productivity and efficiency and help preserve the environment.  Many of the world's largest businesses and governments - including 96 percent of the Fortune 1000 and thousands of government agencies and educational institutions - rely on our professional and managed services and network technologies to accelerate their business. Find out more at www.verizonbusiness.com.

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