Verizon Business to Provide U.S. Social Security Administration With Advanced Data Services

ASHBURN, Va. -- Verizon Business will continue its long-standing role as the U.S. Social Security Administration's primary IP and data services provider, under a new Networx Universal task order.

Under the agreement, valued at $140 million through 2017 if all options are exercised, Verizon Business will continue to advance and manage the SSA's wide-area network, known as the Enterprise-Wide Network Infrastructure (SSANet). In addition, Verizon Business will transition to a modern IP platform based on multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) the portion of the SSANet used for connecting to external business partners. Verizon Business previously implemented a similar transition for the SSA's internal network.

Social Security personnel, who serve more than 51 million U.S. beneficiaries, use the SSANet to conduct day-to-day operations across more than 1,500 U.S. and international locations in more than 20 countries. The operations range from processing retirement and disability claims to using video conferencing for better collaboration.

"The Social Security Administration was an early believer in the transformational power of IP," said Susan Zeleniak, group president, Verizon Federal, a sales organization within Verizon Business dedicated to serving federal government customers. "The new contract establishes a solid foundation that will enable the SSA to meet the growing demand for services - the number of beneficiaries is expected to double over the next 10 years - and to help enhance the overall level of service the SSA provides to the American public."

With this new order, Verizon Business will continue to manage the SSA's high-performance, state-of-the-art network services round-the-clock, 365 days a year from two network operations centers (NOCs). The SSA will also take advantage of Verizon Business' expert life-cycle engineering personnel for design, implementation and ongoing operation of the SSANet.

Previously, Verizon Business had provided data networking services to the Social Security Administration under the GSA's Federal Telecommunications Service 2001 (FTS2001) contract, the predecessor to the Networx program.

Verizon Business is the largest provider of communications services to the U.S. government. The company offers local-to-global networking and information technology solutions coupled with a broad range of telecommunications products and services -- including advanced Internet protocol (IP) services, collaboration services, professional services, managed network services and systems integration -- to all levels of government. With this broad portfolio of services, Verizon Business can provide federal agencies with one-stop shopping for their communications and IT needs and help transform the way government customers -- and their constituents -- do business.

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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