Verizon Simplifies Business Communications With iobi Enterprise

NEW YORK - Beginning today, Verizon's large business and government customers can take advantage of iobi(SM) Enterprise, the most versatile tool for linking voice and messaging services, real-time remote control of phone traffic, messaging alerts and services. Iobi Enterprise is the ideal tool for people who need it most -- the dispersed, traveling and always-in-touch enterprise work force.

With iobi Enterprise, employees who are away from the office can see online who's calling their office phone before the phone rings, and then take the call, by forwarding it from their office phone to their cell phone or another convenient phone, as it rings.

Iobi Enterprise is a powerful software tool that links telephony and data communications to give users more control over the multiple communications services they use daily. It is specifically designed for large businesses, governments and school districts.

"We know there are more ways to communicate than ever with the proliferation of computing and communications devices," said Edward McGuinness, senior vice president for marketing, Verizon Enterprise Solutions Group. "Iobi Enterprise can really help large-business employees manage their communications and time, especially when they work remotely or travel.

"And, iobi Enterprise is part of our pledge to help our customers increase work force productivity by improving the reach of their voice services and linking those services with other business applications," he said.

Neal Sturm, associate vice president and chief information officer at Fairleigh Dickinson University, who's been using iobi as part of a technical trial, said, "We have seen applications for other voice platforms, but traditional Centrex has been overlooked by software developers and equipment manufacturers. What is unique about iobi is that it offers so many intuitive features, without requiring new investments in our network and computing infrastructure. It's already matched up with our voice services, which means that I can have users up and running in a matter of days, which is great for my budget."

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In a study published last year, Yankee Group analyst Rob Rich called Verizon a leader in the field of service delivery platforms. He said, "Over time, iobi has the potential to underpin a strategic transformation of Verizon, broadening its service portfolio and ease of use significantly, and increasing its strategic value to its customers."

Iobi Enterprise can be accessed in three easy ways - PC client, Web browser and voice portal -- at the user's convenience. Iobi's call management, unified messaging, personal information management and productivity tools tie together the customer's existing voice and data network*:

• Employees working remotely can answer calls in real time or forward them to another device from any geographic location.

• Executives can retrieve voice mails via their PC, forward them using e-mail and organize them with their e-mail service.

• Mobile employees can link their voice services with their daily schedules, enabling voice features to follow them as desired.

• Business travelers now have the means to always be connected to the company with wireless notifications for missed calls and voice mail.

Iobi Enterprise is easy to deploy and administer. There are multiple levels of security - physical, network and data - providing a protected computing environment that complies with existing industry standards. More important, the use of open standards will enable organizations to link iobi Enterprise with existing applications or business processes easily with minimal disruption.

Iobi Enterprise now is available now from Virginia to Maine, where Verizon provides Centrex voice services today. It will be rolled out later this year to additional Verizon markets and in conjunction with other products and services, such as PBXs.

"Iobi has the power to change the way people do business. It's a platform that leverages Verizon's core network competencies and is projected to extend to future voice platforms, such as VoIP, to address a larger segment of our customer base," Verizon's McGuinness said.

Verizon Select Services, Verizon's long-distance affiliate, is selling iobi Enterprise to Verizon Centrex customers on a contract basis. The price will be based on the number of iobi users and will be approximately $7 to $8 per month per user.

Iobi History

Iobi, as an application platform, was initially introduced at the 2004 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Today, there are three versions of iobi: one for consumers, one for small businesses and one for enterprise customers. Iobi Home for consumers is now available in six states. In February, iobi Professional debuted for small and mid-sized businesses in New York and the Northeast. An online press kit with a high-resolution video, flash demo and a features list is available at www.verizon.com/news.

Verizon Enterprise Solutions Group manages the design, operation and maintenance of end-to-end integrated network solutions for large business, government and education customers across the United States. With over 7,800 employees in 35 states, Verizon Enterprise Solutions Group offers a complete range of basic and advanced communications products and services to meet the voice, video, data and IP-related needs of its customers. In addition, over 5,200 field operations personnel support enterprise customers nationwide. In the enterprise market, Verizon Select Services Inc. provides Verizon long-distance service. For more information on products and services available through Verizon Enterprise Solutions Group, visit www.verizon.com/enterprisesolutions.

*Specific customer application references by profession are available separately in press kit.

With more than $71 billion in annual revenues, Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) is one of the world's leading providers of communications services. Verizon has a diverse work force of more than 210,000 in four business units: Domestic Telecom serves customers based in 29 states with wireline telecommunications services, including broadband and other services. Verizon Wireless owns and operates the nation's most reliable wireless network, serving 43.8 million voice and data customers across the United States. Information Services operates directory publishing businesses and provides electronic commerce services. International includes wireline and wireless operations and investments, primarily in the Americas and Europe. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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