J.D. Power and Associates Ranks Verizon Highest in Customer Satisfaction for High-End Business Data for Second Year in a Row

NEW YORK - For the second year in a row, Verizon ranked highest in the J.D. Power and Associates Major Provider Business Telecommunications Services StudySM. Verizon scored well above the industry average.

Both Kathy Koelle, who heads up Verizon's small and mid-size business sales for Verizon, and Eduardo Menascé, president of Verizon Enterprise Solutions Group, praised the hard work and efforts of their staffs to provide excellent customer service to their business customers, which range from very small businesses up to the largest corporations.

J.D. Power and Associates determines overall customer satisfaction for this study by rating major telecommunication providers in seven categories:

• Sales reps and account executives
• Performance and reliability
• Billing
• Image
• Offerings and promotions
• Customer service
• Cost of service

Verizon came out on top in six out of the seven categories. According to J.D. Power and Associates, its study is based on responses from more than 5,100 U.S. businesses of all sizes (from two to more than 500 employees) that subscribe to at least one advanced telecommunications services such as ATM, fiber optic services, frame relay, Ethernet, and Internet protocol virtual private network (IP/VPN) or nother packet or cell technology. For more information on this study, visit jdpower.com

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.

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 214,000 in four business units: Domestic Telecom provides customers based in 28 states with wireline and other telecommunications services, including broadband. Verizon Wireless owns and operates the nation's most reliable wireless network, serving 47.4 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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