A surprise guest from the North Pole.

Helping NORAD cover the Santa hotline, coffee with Hans and a special holiday cookbook.

Full Transparency

Our editorial transparency tool uses blockchain technology to permanently log all changes made to official releases after publication. However, this post is not an official release and therefore not tracked. Visit our learn more for more information.

Learn more

Happy Monday. On today’s Up To Speed Live, Andy shared the following updates:

A chance for coffee with Hans

As we wrap up 2020, the best way to gear up for a strong 2021 is to join Hans and our leadership team for our 2021 Kickoff right here on Up To Speed on January 4 at 12 PM ET/9 AM PT.

Watch the webcast to learn how you can land an opportunity to participate in a virtual coffee break with Hans.

Deloitte partnership

On the heels of our recent 5G announcements with WeWork, Walgreens and SAP, our Verizon Business teammates are proud to announce our newest partnership with Deloitte to explore new solutions using 5G and MEC starting with trials in the manufacturing and retail industries. With so many of our enterprise customers jumping on board, it’s clear they are recognizing the transformational value of our 5G and are ready to work with us to explore how our technology will transform industries.

A very special holiday cookbook

If you need some new food and drink ideas for the holidays, take a look at a fun, new cookbook where your Verizon leaders in which they share their favorite holiday recipes, traditions and dishes. We’ll let you guess which leader mentioned a mushroom risotto.

Fitness with the Austins

As many of us partake in some “high-calorie” holiday traditions, we should also think about balancing that celebration with fitness. Lucky for us, we recently partnered with two of our customers who happen to be celebrity fitness experts. Power duo mother and daughter team Katie and Denise Austin use their iPhone 12s to lead a 30-minute workout to keep our V Teamers feeling fit this holiday season and beyond. Then you can enjoy those extra cookies guilt-free!

Helping kids connect with Claus

Andy got a surprise guest from the North Pole. None other than Santa himself mentioned that he needs elves for more than just toy building. That’s why Verizon is playing a big part in this year’s North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) Tracks Santa program. We’ve been helping out since 2002 by providing the toll-free hotline used by children around the world who ask any and all questions about Santa and his big ride.

The phone number — (877) Hi-NORAD or (877) 446-6723 — will be in operation for calls beginning at 6 AM ET/3 AM PT on December 24.

This year, amid COVID-19, there are quite a few off-site volunteers, so Verizon helped to share iPhones preloaded with One Talk by Verizon, creating a virtual call center to help field calls for NORAD’s Santa Operations Center. Thanks to one of those volunteers, Jordan Seligman from our VBG Public Sector team, for joining Andy on Up To Speed with Santa Claus.

Free BlueJeans trial

If you’re looking to connect virtually with family and friends this holiday season, put your BlueJeans on and sign up for a free 7-day trial of BlueJeans videoconferencing. You can use your personal email to sign up for an account to talk with family and friends near and far.

A tweaked tune for this year’s holidays

Finally, check out the end of the video for a self-made twist on a classic holiday song from some very talented Business V Teamers in New Zealand. Thanks to Andy Bell, Jessica Gough, Ed Serra, and Ray Hidyat for perking up our holiday spirits.

If you have any questions, email them to live@verizon.com.

Get the latest information on our Coronavirus Resource Page (Inside Verizon, The Street).

Click here for a transcript of the webcast.

Tell us what you think of Up To Speed.

Related Articles

01/30/2024

Get all the details on what it means for the community, customers, and network as Verizon becomes the first Cornerstone partner for the Titan’s new stadium. Plus, Galaxy Day is tomorrow!

01/23/2024

Keeping you up to speed on everything inside and around Verizon. Bringing you stories on how technology and the people behind it are building the future