Verizon Business Introduces Business Resilience Solutions Portfolio

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. - Business and government customers will be able to more effectively plan, manage and overcome unforeseen events such as natural disasters, equipment failures or building evacuations by using a comprehensive portfolio of integrated services unveiled today by Verizon Business. The new group of services - called Business Resilience Solutions - addresses the gamut of business continuity preparedness, from expert assessment to robust implementation of networking and storage capabilities, so that businesses can maintain vital communications and operations systems.

"All enterprises, regardless of their size or the nature of their business, require continuity planning," said Barry Zipp, vice president of Solutions for Verizon Business. "Our methodology is simple - identify industrywide business issues and develop a holistic set of solutions tailored to address individual customer requirements, simply and effectively."

Verizon's new Business Resilience Solutions portfolio addresses a wide range of business planning and disaster recovery requirements including continuity, security and productivity. Services range from traditional resilient voice and data networking, to high-availability and network-embedded applications, to new storage offerings and professional services capabilities.

By developing comprehensive, cost-effective packages of network, connectivity, equipment and professional services, Verizon Business offers a convenient, flexible method to address business resilience requirements. The packages also eliminate the need for costly, time-consuming testing and engineering to ensure that all of the business resilience products, services and networks will work together.

The packages' emphasis on the management of people, processes and systems represents a significant shift in the traditional approach to business continuity. Verizon Business' approach focuses on proactively planning for a disaster by putting a comprehensive plan in place in advance, rather than waiting to do anything until after a disaster has occurred.

"We are finding that enterprises are gaining a new-found appreciation for the importance of business continuity," stated Sean Hackett, research manager of Business Network Services for IDC. "With the hurricane season almost upon us, businesses are reminded that business planning is no longer an option, but a critical necessity. The days of 'taking your chances' are over, especially when lives and businesses are at stake."

Danny Katz, chief executive officer of DBK Concepts Inc., a provider of mobile data-collection systems for inventory management in the retail, grocery, wholesale and transportation industries, said: "Hurricane Wilma in 2005 was a key driver in our search for a company that could provide a comprehensive range of services that would enable us to provide the assurance our customers require. "Verizon Business was able to provide a highly redundant solution that helps ensure we are able to meet our critical service pledge to our customers day in and day out."

New Professional Services Add Customer Value

Verizon Business has joined forces with Strohl Systems, the global leader in business continuity planning software and services, to provide customers with comprehensive, value-added consulting services. They include business impact analyses, gap analyses, strategy workshops, asset inventory development and vulnerability assessments.

Working with Strohl, Verizon Business will utilize its five-phase methodology - initiation, business impact analysis, strategy development, plan development, and testing and maintenance - to help customers identify vulnerabilities. Strohl's Certified Business Continuity Planners then work with customers to develop contingency plans to keep key business operations functioning and employees, customers and suppliers connected.

Resilient Network Attached Storage Joins Portfolio

As part of its business resilience portfolio, Verizon Business is adding a Resilient Network Attached Storage (RNAS) solution. It is ideal for large organizations with branch offices or other remote locations and is designed to improve the performance of storage applications and wide area network infrastructure. RNAS is totally integrated, combining network transport and access from Verizon Business, network attached storage platforms and software from EMC Corporation and network equipment from Cisco Systems Inc.

As one of the only companies to provide an end-to-end approach to virtual file networking, Verizon Business has engineered this package to provide remote offices with dedicated, on-site file storage and sharing capabilities, while centralizing file management, security and business recovery functions. RNAS reduces the resources a company needs to maintain mission-critical data and helps ensure that files are accessible at anytime by staff working outside the main office.

Existing Services Contribute to New Portfolio

The Verizon Business portfolio of resilience solutions also includes a broad array of existing services that customers can implement to meet their business preparedness needs, including:

• Resilient Voice and Data Networking: Enterprise Mobility, IP VPN Broadband Wireless Back-Up, Secure Internet Gateway, Private IP - Disaster Recovery Ports, Ethernet Private Line and Centrex Custom Redirect Service

• Security Services: Denial of Service - Defense Detection, Managed Firewall Enterprise and Managed Intrusion Protection

• IT/Data Center Solutions: IP Application Hosting, Remote Back-Up and Restore, Managed Storage, Colocation and Data Center Outsourcing

• Network-Embedded Applications: Hosted IP Centrex Back-Up, Web Center and Integrated Communications Package

• Managed Network Services

• Satellite Services.

In addition, Verizon Business offers a variety of audio, video and Web conferencing capabilities, as well as comprehensive remote access and telecommuting services that can be used to keep business operations running and connect employees, partners, suppliers and other key stakeholders.

Solutions to Other Issues Will Use Comprehensive, Customer-First Approach

Throughout the year, Verizon Business plans to introduce additional comprehensive solution portfolios that address other far-ranging business issues, including collaborative services, seamless mobility and supply-chain management.

Said Zipp, "The approach we have taken in developing our Business Resilience Solutions portfolio illustrates how we will develop other integrated, end-to-end solutions offerings - a key strategic priority for 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.

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