U.S. Postal Service Extends Managed Services Pact With Verizon Business

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. - Verizon Business, a leading communications provider to the federal government, announced today that it has been awarded a two-year extension of its existing Managed Network Services contract with the United States Postal Service.

The agreement extends the current contract -- which was due to expire on March 23, 2008 -- through March 23, 2010. The agreement also includes two one-year extension options, through 2012.

“Verizon Business’ expertise and technology are helping the Postal Service serve its customers, whether they are buying stamps or tracking a package online for delivery,’’ said Jerry Edgerton, group president for Verizon Federal, the sales organization within Verizon Business dedicated to serving federal government customers. “Verizon Business continues to invest in our networks and technology to meet our customers’ demands and to provide the top-quality services they expect.”

Verizon Business was awarded the U.S. Postal Service Managed Network Services (MNS) contract in 1997 and has established one of the world’s largest private networks for the Postal Service.  This state-of-the-art network, which Verizon Business manages round-the-clock, 365 days a year, supports many aspects of the Postal Service, from operations to administration.

In addition to helping the Postal Service efficiently and cost-effectively deliver mail, the network also helps the Postal Service inform and manage its more than 700,000 employees, one of largest civilian workforces in the nation. The employees use the network to store and distribute documents, stay current on the latest internal developments, and augment customer service efforts at more than 37,000 Postal Service locations.

Under the new extension, Verizon Business will continue to provide the Postal Service with a variety of managed network services and will continue to operate a dedicated network operations center in Cary, N.C. In addition, Verizon Business will upgrade circuit speeds and manage local area network switches.

“The U.S. Postal Service can rely on Verizon Business as a leader delivering managed services to customers worldwide,” Edgerton said.  “Through our tireless commitment to delivering the next generation of IP-based services in a fully managed network environment, we can help the Postal Service meet its evolving requirements with confidence.”

Verizon Business manages more than 3,500 customer networks in 142 countries, overseeing more than 25,000 non-Verizon connections from more than 60 network providers around the world.  Verizon Business is a recognized leader delivering advanced communications and information technology (IT) services for large-business and government customers worldwide.  The company was positioned in the leader’s quadrant by Gartner, Inc. in the “Magic Quadrant for U.S. Managed and Professional Network Service Providers, 1H06^[1],” and the 2006 “Highest Customer Satisfaction With Large Enterprise Business Data Service Providers” award by J.D. Power and Associates in its annual study of small, mid-size and large-business customers. 

About Verizon Business 

Verizon Business, a unit of Verizon Communications (NYSE:  VZ), is a leading provider of advanced communications and information technology (IT) solutions to large business and government customers worldwide.  Combining unsurpassed global network reach with advanced technology and professional service capabilities, Verizon Business delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world.  For more information, visit www.verizonbusiness.com.

[1] Gartner Research “Magic Quadrant for U.S. Managed and Professional Network Service Providers, 1H06” by E. Goodness, D. Neil and D. Willis.  July 11, 2006

*The Magic Quadrant is copyrighted July 11, 2006 by Gartner, Inc. and is reused with permission. The Magic Quadrant is a graphical representation of a marketplace at and for a specific time period. It depicts Gartner's analysis of how certain vendors measure against criteria for that marketplace, as defined by Gartner. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in the Magic Quadrant, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors placed in the "Leaders" quadrant. The Magic Quadrant is intended solely as a research tool, and is not meant to be a specific guide to action. Gartner disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

J.D. Power and Associates Disclaimer: Verizon Business received the highest numerical score among data service providers in the proprietary J.D. Power and Associates 2006 Major Provider Business Telecommunications Data Services StudySM.  Study is based on 3.138 total responses measuring 6 providers and measures opinions of consumers utilizing telecom services at small/midsize and large enterprise U.S. businesses.  Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of consumers surveyed in January 2006.  Your experiences may vary.  Visit jdpower.com/cc.

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