Verizon Business Unveils Broad Portfolio of VoIP Solutions for the International Market

READING, UK and STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Verizon Business today unveiled a broad portfolio of VoIP solutions for the international market that provides a simple, efficient way for global customers to transition their voice and data services to IP technology. Because the services go over managed networks, rather than the public Internet, customers can realise the cost, feature and productivity benefits of VoIP without compromising on the reliability and quality they have come to expect from traditional business telephony.

The expanded suite of solutions, announced at VON Europe 2006, adds Hosted IP Centrex, IP Trunking and Managed IP PBX, as well as an enhanced IP Integrated Access offering, to the Verizon VoIP portfolio. Additionally, Verizon Business launched a global VoIP Gateway service for the wholesale market through its International Partner Solutions business unit.

The Verizon VoIP portfolio incorporates a range of IP communications solutions for enterprises looking to transform the way they do business. Palais de Congrès de Paris, the renowned convention centre in Paris, is one customer already reaping the benefits of Verizon VoIP. The company wanted to implement a VoIP solution to converge voice and data networks and expand its business telephony applications while maximising its existing TDM-based PBX architecture. IP Integrated Access has proved an ideal first step to convergence.

"Having experienced a high-quality voice service for more than four years and IP services for more than a year with Verizon Business, we have decided to continue our partnership to transition to a full VoIP solution," said Thierry Vaneycke, telecom and audiovisual director at the Palais des Congrès. "The Verizon VoIP solution provides us with a flexible approach to connectivity using our existing PBX, enabling us to gain additional functionality through the use of IP without changes to our current infrastructure, whilst we evaluate the benefits of VoIP for our company. We know that we will be able to migrate to any type of VoIP solution, ranging from converged IP connectivity for an IP PBX infrastructure, to a full Verizon-managed IP PBX or Centrex solution, for all our sites."

John Irvine, vice president of international marketing for Verizon Business, said, "Our broad VoIP portfolio is very powerful in its ability to rationalise the communications infrastructure of customers that have many geographically dispersed sites. We know that one size doesn't fit all, and are therefore helping our customers transition to a converged IP environment at their own pace and path. With our new portfolio we can help customers simplify the complexity of deploying and operating VoIP services, while eliminating the traditional constraints of migrating to a converged IP environment."

Unique in its breadth and offering full interoperability, the portfolio has already gained industry acclaim in the United States, including the 2005 Innovation Award from Network Magazine US.

About Verizon IP Integrated Access
Verizon IP Integrated Access, the first element of the Verizon VoIP portfolio launched in 2005, allows customers to manage their IP evolution. Delivered via the company's Private IP service using multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) or over a Verizon dedicated Internet access circuit, it offers a fully managed service implemented directly in the access and IP network, and therefore avoids the need for a customer to expend capital. The traditional customer PBX is kept in place, with Verizon Business simply enabling inbound and outbound voice routing over the existing IP dedicated or PIP access network without the requirement for PBX changes, LAN upgrades or end-user re-training.

Enterprise Portfolio Enhancements and Geographic Expansion
Verizon Business is enhancing the IP Integrated Access offering by adding support for Basic Rate Interfaces for the PBX to the current offering supporting Primary Rate Interfaces. Other enhancements at the local level include Legal Interception in the German market, ensuring regional regulatory compliance. Further enhancements planned for the second half of 2006 include the addition of DSL and Ethernet access to the portfolio.

In addition to these enhancements, the new services announced at VON include:

• IP Trunking - connects an IP PBX platform to the enterprise data network and to the public voice network using a single IP connection
• Hosted IP Centrex - a robust, flexibly scalable and feature-rich voice service delivered from an innovative platform hosted and managed by Verizon Business
• Managed IP PBX - offering a fully managed IP PBX service tailored to an individual enterprise's requirements.

Geographic coverage plans for key services in the Verizon VoIP portfolio will also be made available to as many as 18 countries worldwide by the end of 2006, supporting local language administrative and user interfaces. These countries include United Kingdom, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Australia, South Africa and the United States.

Wholesale VoIP Gateway Service
The global VoIP Gateway Service, which is sold through Verizon's International Partner Solutions business unit, enables wholesale customers to offer full IP Telephony to the public switched telephone network, trunking services and global termination of calls through one single, scaleable solution. The resulting benefit is lower operational costs, reduced cost of ownership, competitive wholesale pricing and, of course, access to Verizon's network and partner relationships.

Verizon Business
Verizon Business, a unit of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ), is a leading provider of advanced communications and information technology (IT) solutions to large business and government customers worldwide. Combining unsurpassed global network reach with advanced technology and professional service capabilities, Verizon Business delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world. For more information, visit www.verizonbusiness.com.

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