Verizon Business Selected as a Prime Contractor for Networx Enterprise, Second Phase of GSA’s Multibillion-Dollar Communications Program

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. - After recently being named a prime contractor for the first phase of the U.S. General Services Administration’s multibillion-dollar program to modernize federal government communications, Verizon Business today was awarded a contract in the program’s second phase.

Verizon Business, the largest provider of communications services to the U.S. federal government, was named a Networx Universal prime contractor in late March under the first phase of the GSA’s program. Today’s award is for the companion Networx Enterprise program.

Both Networx contracts authorize the company to offer its unsurpassed portfolio of advanced wireline and wireless services to individual government agencies around the world. Networx, among the largest federal communications programs in history, has an overall value estimated at about $20 billion over 10 years, spread among all awardees.

“Verizon Business is uniquely positioned to help government agencies meet their individual operational requirements under both Networx Universal and Networx Enterprise, including an unsurpassed portfolio of secure IP wired and wireless solutions,” said John Killian, president of Verizon Business.

“We have a proven track record of helping government agencies transition to Internet protocol and other advanced services. Under FTS2001, we helped our customers adopt advanced IP-based services. Our global IP leadership, coupled with 20 years of experience serving the federal government, makes Verizon Business the best choice under either Enterprise or Universal for agencies to make the most of the benefits of advanced communications,” Killian said.

While Networx Universal service providers are required to provide a core set of Internet protocol and wireless services to all government locations mandated by the GSA, Networx Enterprise has fewer mandatory services and many optional services.

Networx will replace FTS2001 and several other telecommunications agreements. The program is designed to allow the government to choose among a comprehensive range of integrated telecommunications and network services, ranging from converged voice, video and data services over a single network to a variety of next-generation offerings, including advanced IP services, managed services and advanced security services.

In addition, Verizon Business will act as a services and solutions integrator to simplify and optimize each government agency’s network and applications. As a member of the Verizon Business Networx team, Verizon Wireless will provide voice and broadband data services and devices on the nation’s most reliable wireless network.

Susan Zeleniak, vice president for Verizon Federal, an organization within Verizon Business dedicated to serving federal government customers, said: “With our comprehensive suite of Networx products and services, an advanced online customer portal and a state-of-the-art Government Network Operations and Security Center, Verizon Business can provide agencies with some of the best capabilities backed by some of the industry’s highest service level commitments.”

As one of the two telecommunications service providers initially awarded the FTS2001 contracts by the GSA in January 1999, Verizon Business serves virtually every federal agency under that contract. As agencies transition to Networx, Verizon Business will continue to offer the telecommunications services it currently provides under the FTS2001 Bridge Contract.

Under Networx -- just as with FTS2001 -- federal agencies will be able to take advantage of Verizon Business’ advanced voice and data network services as well as a variety of next-generation offerings, including managed services; advanced security services; enterprise wireless; storage, application, management and collaboration services; and teleworking, Web hosting and advanced call-center services.

Verizon Business is already meeting the government’s demands for next-generation networking services. The company last year opened its new Government Network Operations and Security Center (GNOSC) to support the unique security and operational requirements of federal government customers. The GNOSC, located in Northern Virginia and built to government security standards, supports the managed network services Verizon Business provides to a wide array of federal government agencies.

The GNOSC, along with Verizon Business’s vBNS+ (Very High Speed Backbone Network Service), also will play an important role in helping the federal government adopt the next generation of Internet protocol -- known as version six, or IPv6 -- and meet the Office of Management and Budget’s mandated transition target of June 2008. Verizon Business is a pioneer in developing and delivering IPv6 capabilities to market, helping to expand the availability of IP address space and to accommodate the growing number of IP-enabled network devices in the marketplace.

Verizon Business today provides an unsurpassed range of communications services to civilian and defense agencies, delivering government customers many advanced services ranging from call-center applications to dedicated security operations.

Verizon Business is an industry leader in helping government and business customers shift to IP-based products and services. The company combines one of the world’s largest wholly owned, most-connected IP networks with an unsurpassed portfolio of enterprise wireline and wireless devices, services and solutions.

With its extensive global network and comprehensive portfolio of services, Verizon Business can provide federal agencies with one-stop shopping for their communications or connectivity needs. The company has built the next-generation services that are helping to transform the way government customers -- and their constituents -- do business.