Verizon Business Receives Juniper Networks 2008 Top J-Partner of the Year Award

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. - Juniper Networks has awarded Verizon Business its 2008 Top J-Partner of the Year Award.  The award recognizes Verizon Business' ongoing global success in leveraging Juniper Networks' innovative technology to deliver high-performance managed networking solutions, as well as the company's commitment to customer service excellence and generation of accelerating revenues.

"This award from Juniper Networks underscores the importance Verizon places on forging strong relationships with leading technology providers," said Nancy Gofus, senior vice president - global business products, Verizon.  "By combining our managed and professional services expertise with the high-performance platforms developed by Juniper Networks, Verizon is able to deliver the flexible, world-class IP-based solutions that enable large-business and government customers around the globe to operate more effectively by embracing the potential of IP-enabled networks and applications."

The award was presented on Monday evening (May 18) at Juniper Networks' annual J-Partner Channel Summit in Las Vegas.

Over the past year, Verizon Business has expanded its Juniper-based offerings.  Earlier this year, Juniper Networks was one of the first leading suppliers to sign a global resale agreement with Verizon Business as part of its single-source model for the delivery of customer premises equipment and related support services in 122 countries and territories.  In October 2008, Verizon Business expanded availability of its Managed WAN Optimization Service to countries in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, helping enterprises to fine-tune network performance and improve application delivery.

In addition, in March 2008, Verizon Business became the first U.S.-based service provider to deliver management of the Juniper Networks J-series services routers.

"Verizon Business continues to push innovation by leveraging Juniper's high-performance network infrastructure to deliver a set of global managed offerings that few in the industry can match," said Frank Vitagliano, senior vice president - worldwide channels, Juniper Networks.  "The significant focus that Verizon Business has placed on extending its relationship with Juniper is demonstrated by the traction it has gained in selling Juniper-based services to enterprise customers around the globe."

Last year, Verizon Business received the Juniper Networks 2007 Americas Managed Services J-Partner of the Year Award.  Verizon Business has been a Juniper Networks reseller since 2001 and an Elite member of the Juniper Networks J-Partner Program since its inception in 2005.  To date, Verizon Business technical personnel have completed more than 420 Juniper Networks' certifications.

"Our relationship with Juniper Networks is all about providing large-business and government customers with choice and flexibility," said Kerry Bailey, senior vice president - global services, Verizon Business.  "This award demonstrates the value we deliver by leveraging our combined capabilities to provide enterprises with solutions necessary to be successful in a highly dynamic global marketplace."

Verizon Business manages 270,000-plus security, network and hosting devices across more than 4,000 customer networks spanning 142 countries and territories, overseeing non-Verizon connections from more than 60 network providers worldwide.  Verizon Business' industry-leading service-level commitments and award-winning IMPACT management platform enable it to deliver on its commitments of innovation and service.  Through 2,700 specially trained and experienced consultants, Verizon Business also offers a comprehensive set of standardized professional-service capabilities in 30 countries around the globe.

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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