Verizon Business Senior Executive Judy Spitz Named a Winner of InfoWorld CTO 25 Awards

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. - Verizon Business’ Judy Spitz has been selected as a winner of IDG’s InfoWorld CTO 25 Awards.

For the eighth consecutive year, the award honors senior IT executives who provide not only the technical expertise, but the vision and leadership to guide their company, as well as the IT community, to excellence.

Spitz is senior vice president and chief information officer for Verizon Business, where she is responsible on a global basis for the design, delivery and maintenance of the infrastructure that supports the company’s wireline network, billing, sales tools and customer care systems as well as product development for Verizon Business. Spitz has held this position since the launch of Verizon Business in January 2006.

“In an industry where IT and the business must be close partners, Judy works within the company to fundamentally transform the efficiency of our internal operations while at the same time deliver innovative products and services,” said Fran Shammo, president of Verizon Business. “It’s no surprise that Judy is included in this elite list of IT executives who demonstrate leadership and proven influence. She is a key member of our global senior leadership team.”

The magazine recognized Spitz for her work in 2008 to provide comprehensive, end-to-end IT innovation for systems supporting faster ordering and provisioning, online management of billing and enhanced network monitoring, as well as an overall streamlined systems infrastructure.

“The diversity of challenges that a CTO faces was very evident in this year’s InfoWorld CTO 25 entries,” said Galen Gruman, executive editor/news and features, InfoWorld. “But what was common across the 25 CTOs we chose as the year’s top CTOs was a combination of management savvy, technological insight and the ability to lead a team to success even in difficult circumstances.

“This year’s honorees reinvented untenable legacies, provided game-changing insight, and managed both their own teams and key organization stakeholders to make their businesses succeed through the use of technology. Our honorees did much more than implement technology well; they brought its use to a new level,” Gruman said.

Under Spitz’s leadership, the IT staff developed a single global ordering system that reduced order processing time to an average of four hours. The status on any order is instantaneously available to the sales force and to customers.

Verizon Business’ unified provisioning platform provides point-and-click capability for high-bandwidth services, reducing the provisioning interval by 60 percent.

The customer billing experience was transformed with an industry-first, the Global Billing Report, which gives multinational enterprise customers the ability via a Web portal to view and manage their entire billing relationship, available in 62 different currencies.  

Customer support and network monitoring were enhanced to include automated ticketing from alarm data, proactive customer notification and automated dispatch of technicians having the required skills in a given geographical location. The IT team also produced a robust network management dashboard on the Verizon Enterprise Center (VEC) portal that provides transparency for business customers who want to monitor and manage their networks. 

In 2005, CIO Magazine selected Spitz for its Ones to Watch list. In 2007, Computerworld named her to the CIO 100 Honoree list. She also has received Verizon Communications’ Quality and Excellence Awards three times.

Description of InfoWorld CTO 25 Awards
Chief technology officers are often the unsung heroes of IT. They may drive new technology development for customer-facing and/or internal use. They may manage and improve the core technology that underpins the business operations. In any case, they translate the promise of technology into business benefit. Each year, the InfoWorld CTO 25 Awards honor senior IT executives who have demonstrated leadership within their companies and in the IT community.

About InfoWorld Media Group
InfoWorld Media Group helps IT Decision Makers choose the right technology, within the context of a cohesive strategy for business impact at their organizations. InfoWorld identifies and promotes emerging technology segments that add unique value for the organizations that implement them, as well as the vendors that provide those solutions. Using an integrated communications approach including online, events, research, and a continued investment in an independent Test Center, InfoWorld analysts and editors provide hands-on analysis and evaluation, as well as expert commentary on issues surrounding emerging technologies and products. Visit InfoWorld at http://www.infoworld.com.

About International Data Group
International Data Group (IDG) is the world's leading technology media, events, and research company. IDG’s online network includes more than 450 web sites spanning business technology, consumer technology, digital entertainment and video games worldwide. IDG also publishes more than 300 magazines and newspapers in 85 countries. IDG's media brands include CIO, CSO, Computerworld, GamePro, InfoWorld, Macworld, Network World, and PC World. IDG’s lead-generation service, IDG Connect, matches technology companies with an audience of engaged, high-quality IT professionals, influencers, and decision makers. IDG is a leading producer of more than 750 technology-related events including Macworld Conference & Expo, LinuxWorld Conference & Expo, Entertainment for All Expo (E for All), DEMO, Storage Networking World, and IDC Directions. IDC, a subsidiary of IDG, is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events. Over 900 IDC analysts in more than 90 countries provide global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends. Additional information about IDG, a privately held company, is available at http://www.idg.com.

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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