Innovation in Customer Service and Cloud Solutions Earns Verizon Recognition in InformationWeek 500

Verizon's innovative work in information technology for applications and tools that serve customers has earned the company inclusion in the 2012 InformationWeek 500, an annual listing of the nation's most innovative users of business technology.

This is the 16th year the company has been named to the list. The companies on this year's list were announced recently at a gala awards ceremony at the InformationWeek 500 Conference at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point, Calif.

"Verizon IT teams work on many initiatives that enable our businesses to improve performance and drive customer satisfaction," said Roger Gurnani, chief information officer for Verizon. "We are pleased that the InformationWeek 500 has recognized our accomplishments."

Verizon earned its place on the list for three initiatives that demonstrated the company's innovative technological approaches to improving the customer experience for wireline and wireless customers and its innovative enterprise-class cloud services.

Focused on improving customer service for FiOS and High-Speed Internet customers, Verizon was recognized for delivering a system that proactively monitors device and equipment behavior in the home, diagnoses issues when they occur and corrects them before they impact the customer's service.

In addition, the company was recognized for a suite of tools that enables customers to manage their wireless accounts on the go. The suite consists of the following: the Data Usage Widget, the first tool of its kind designed to help customers closely monitor and manage their data consumption; the Mobile Accessory Store, which allows customers to browse and purchase available accessories, automatically ensuring compatibility with customers' current devices; and Smart Linkaways, which allows customers to use short codes to directly access their account information within My Verizon Mobile and make changes without the need to call customer service.

Verizon's Terremark subsidiary also was recognized for its leadership in delivering enterprise-class cloud infrastructure solutions. Verizon's portfolio of cloud services leverage best-of-breed technologies to enable innovative hybrid cloud solutions when combined with advanced managed security services, application management services and IT and security professional services that are uniquely positioned in the market to address the competitive needs of enterprise and government agencies around the world.

"The InformationWeek 500 has recognized the most innovative users of business technology for 24 years, and this year's innovations were particularly impressive," said Rob Preston, InformationWeek editor in chief. "What the editors looked for are unconventional approaches -- new technologies, new models, new ways of grabbing business opportunities and solving complex business problems with IT."

Visit Verizon's website for more information about Verizon's recognition and awards.

About InformationWeek Business Technology Network
The InformationWeek Business Technology Network provides IT executives with unique analysis and tools that parallel their work flow-from defining and framing objectives through to the evaluation and recommendation of solutions. Anchored by InformationWeek, the multimedia powerhouse that looks across the enterprise, the network scales across the most critical technology categories with online properties such as DarkReading.com (security), NetworkComputing.com (networking and communications) and BYTE (consumer technology). The network also provides focused content for key IT targets, such as CIOs, developers and SMBs, via InformationWeek Global CIO, Dr. Dobb's and InformationWeek SMB, as well as vital vertical industries with InformationWeek Financial Services, Government and Healthcare sites. Content is at the nucleus of our information distribution strategy-IT professionals turn to our experts and communities to stay informed, get advice and research technologies to make strategic business decisions. (http://www.informationweek.com)

About Verizon
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to consumer, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, with more than 94 million retail customers nationwide.  Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers integrated business solutions to customers in more than 150 countries, including all of the Fortune 500.  A Dow 30 company with $111 billion in 2011 revenues, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 188,000.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

####