Verizon Business Expands Managed Collaboration to Help Enterprises Enhance Productivity, Drive Efficiency

Company Now Supports Broadest Range of Cisco Unified Communications System 7.0 Applications Among Global Service Providers

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. - Verizon Business is expanding its leading portfolio of solutions that help large businesses and government agencies reduce the complexity of managing, monitoring and maintaining enterprisewide unified communications and collaboration (UC&C).

The company is adding management of several applications to its Cisco Unified Communications System Release 7.0 portfolio. The new applications, which include presence, contact center and messaging, are available immediately to customers in the U.S. and many European countries, and will be available early next year in the Asia-Pacific region.

Among global service providers, Verizon Business currently manages the broadest set of Cisco Unified Communications System Release 7.0 applications. In December 2008, Verizon Business became the first global service provider to deliver a managed solution based on the Cisco Unified Communications System Release 7.0.

“IT decision-makers continue to view unified communications as a primary way to transform operations and change organizational collaboration both internally and with customers, partners and suppliers,” said Nancy Gofus, senior vice president - global business products, Verizon. “Our fully managed UC&C solutions can help enterprises improve productivity, enhance customer service and streamline critical business processes.”

The new Cisco Unified Communications System Release 7.0 applications now being managed by Verizon Business are:

* Cisco Unity Connection - A reliable, highly secure, scalable and full-featured voice and unified messaging platform that enables access to e-mail, voice and fax messages from a single inbox.

* Cisco Unified Presence - A standards-based platform that collects information about a user’s availability and communications capabilities to unify voice, video, data and mobile applications on fixed and mobile networks, enabling easy collaboration.

* Cisco Emergency Responder - A software appliance that enhances emergency calling and sends up-to-date caller location information to public safety and security personnel.

* Cisco Unified Contact Center Express - A single-server, “contact-center-in-a-box” platform that supports up to 300 agents with a fully integrated approach for handling customer interactions via inbound/outbound voice, interactive voice response, e-mail and instant messaging.

UC&C uses IP networking to integrate various communications systems, media, devices and applications, helping enterprises streamline business processes, accelerate decision-making, enhance the customer experience and control costs. Highly scalable, the Cisco platform is ideal for large numbers of end users, and can help large-business and government customers control system and management costs by streamlining the number of devices required for enterprisewide UC&C deployments.

Leveraging its extensive UC&C expertise, Verizon Business provides enterprises with the necessary planning, design, implementation and ongoing management capabilities to deliver high-performance solutions, enabling internal resources to focus on other business-critical projects.

“Interest in UC&C capabilities continues to grow and enterprises recognize the transformative value deployments can have across their organizations,” said Blair Crump, group president - worldwide sales, Verizon Business. “Verizon Business - with its support for multiple unified communications platforms; extensive managed, hosted and professional services capabilities; and global IP network - is well-positioned to help customers make the most of UC&C deployments.”

Verizon Business’ UC&C solutions enable organizations to conveniently and effectively collaborate, while helping increase productivity and reduce carbon emissions. Using its global IP network as a foundation, Verizon Business delivers a broad range of advanced do-it-yourself, managed and cloud-based collaboration solutions, including audio, video and Web conferencing; telepresence, mobility, VoIP and contact center; and professional services capabilities.

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.