Verizon Business to Provide Contact Center Services for U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. - Verizon Business has been selected to provide call center routing and support for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Under a new agreement valued at $20.9 million, Verizon Business will provide toll-free services, Hosted Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and secure database applications for Veterans Affairs call centers nationwide. 

The agreement was awarded under the U.S. General Services Administration's Networx Universal contract, which covers 10 years. Networx is among the largest federal telecommunication contracts ever awarded by the GSA, providing federal agencies with a common vehicle for purchasing a comprehensive set of networking and technical services.

"Verizon Business' expertise and technology will be helping the Veterans Affairs Department meet the needs of the women and men who served in our Armed Forces, whether they are checking on health benefits or looking for information on the GI bill," said Susan Zeleniak, group president, Verizon Federal, a sales organization within Verizon Business dedicated to serving federal government customers.  "Our experience in providing Contact Center Services will enable the agency to enhance the customer service it provides to our nation's veterans, who deserve to receive nothing less than the best service available."

Verizon Business' award-winning Hosted IVR service uses speech technology and touch-tone commands to provide sophisticated call-treatment and transfer capabilities while enabling caller self-service transactions. With this technology, veterans will be able to use the National Automated Response System (NARS) toll-free numbers, and the system will route the calls to the appropriate contact for handling, including compensation and pension, education, and health care services.

As the project is implemented, the VA will have the ability to order additional services from Verizon Business that could increase the value of the agreement. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs serves the nation's veterans and their families, providing medical care, benefits and social support. Services and benefits are provided through a nationwide network of hospitals, outpatient clinics, nursing homes, residential rehabilitation treatment programs, readjustment counseling centers, veterans benefits offices and national cemeteries.

Verizon Contact Center Services help government and large-business customers manage inbound and outbound customer communications, control costs, and improve service.  The award-winning Hosted IVR product line includes Enhanced Call Routing (ECR), Global ECR, Speech Services and Internet Protocol (IP) IVR.  Verizon Business offers a range of contact center services, such as Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) and Intelligent Contact Routing (ICR), to manage the distribution of voice and data traffic to agents. Verizon Business Professional Services and Service Delivery teams can provide hosted, managed and premises-based contact center solutions, as well as tailored combinations of all three.

Verizon Business is the largest provider of communications services to the U.S. federal government and one of the largest providers of advanced communications and information technology services globally.  The company offers local-to-global network capabilities coupled with a broad range of telecommunications products and services - including advanced Internet protocol (IP) services, professional services, managed network services and systems integration - to all levels of government. With this broad portfolio of services, Verizon Business can provide federal agencies with one-stop shopping for their communications or connectivity needs. The company has built the next-generation services that are helping to transform the way government customers - and their constituents - do business.

About Verizon Business
Verizon Business, a unit of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ), operates the world's most connected public IP network and uses its industry-leading global-network capabilities to offer large-business and government customers an unmatched combination of security, reliability and speed.  The company integrates advanced IP communications and information technology (IT) products and services to deliver leading enterprise solutions including managed services, security, mobility, collaboration and professional services.  These solutions power innovation and enable the company's customers to do business better. For more information, visit www.verizonbusiness.com.

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