Verizon Helps Drive IT Standards for Retailers

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. - A more modern technology infrastructure would enable retailers to better serve their customers, and Verizon is helping foster such an IT environment by supporting The Association for Retail Technology Standards.

Working with other key retail industry players, Verizon is calling for an open-standards approach to retail IT that will enable rapid integration of disparate applications and technology platforms -- both internally and across vendors and partners. As a result, retailers will be able to lower operating costs, better manage their inventory and workforces, and more effectively support multiple sales channels.

As part of this effort, Verizon will work with a number of committees of The Association for Retail Technology Standards (ARTS), focusing on retail technology issues including service-oriented architecture, cloud computing and mobile commerce. Additionally, Verizon has co-authored "Cloud Computing in Retail," an ARTS white paper that is being released at the National Retail Federation BIG show Jan. 9-13 at the Javits Center in New York.

The Importance of Industrywide Retail IT Standards
According to industry experts, retailers are increasingly realizing the importance of open-standards IT systems to power their business operations so they can interact more efficiently with vendors and suppliers.

However, for the most part, the retail industry continues to rely on a web of proprietary technologies and applications that can be difficult and costly to integrate.

"Verizon is focused on helping retailers modernize their IT infrastructure in 2010 through an open-standards approach we are calling the Verizon Framework for Retail," said Ravi Bagal, vice president and global managing director - retail, Verizon Business. "This new approach will provide the essential IT platform to connect existing and new applications so that retailers can improve their business agility and flexibility to better serve customers."

(Visit Verizon at the ARTS Pavilion Booth #2037 during EXPO hours at the National Retail Federation BIG show on Jan. 11 and 12. Verizon and other ARTS members will discuss standards-based business solutions. Copies of "Cloud Computing in Retail" will also be available at the booth. Verizon is available to speak to visitors at the Verizon Booth #2745 through Jan. 13.)

ARTS is an international membership organization dedicated to reducing the costs of retail technology through standards. Its mission is to enable the low-cost, rapid deployment of technology in retail by reducing integration efforts through platform-independent, vendor-neutral standards.

To learn more about Verizon Retail, visit: http://www.verizonbusiness.com/solutions/retail.

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 one of the world's most connected IP networks 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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