Verizon Business Completes SAS 70 Type II Review for Internet Colocation and Managed Hosting Data Centers

February 15, 2006, BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – Verizon Business, a premier provider of advanced global communications and information technology (IT) solutions, announced today that it successfully completed the SAS 70 Type II examination of its Internet colocation centers, known as Premium Data Centers. In addition, the company also successfully completed for a fifth consecutive year the SAS 70 Type II examination of its managed hosting centers, called Smart Centers, and their operating environments.

The examinations, performed by Ernst & Young LPP, addressed the suitability of Verizon Business’ design of controls as well as the operating effectiveness of those controls within the processes of its Premium and Smart Data Centers, formerly MCI’s Premium Data Centers and Enterprise Hosting Operations and now a part of Verizon Business.

“Verizon Business is dedicated to delivering performance excellence to each and every customer,” said Nancy Gofus, Verizon Business vice president of product management. “The successful conclusion of our SAS 70 Type II examinations further underscores the Verizon Business commitment to the establishment and maintenance of appropriate controls over our processes to help us ensure high standards of quality and stringent metrics for security and reliability.”

With the completion of the SAS 70 Type II examinations, Verizon Business can help Internet colocation and managed hosting customers address their control requirements over the processing of financial data and other sensitive company information under Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 (SOX 404).

Business and government customers can take advantage of Premium Data Centers in major business centers across the U.S., including: Seattle, Atlanta, Houston, Miami, Los Angeles and Richardson, Texas. The Premium Data Centers provide an ideal hosting environment for companies requiring an off-site facility to securely house their servers and other equipment running their IP applications.

Verizon Business also offers managed hosting solutions that allow customers to outsource their Web-enabled business sites in a secure environment with 24x7 management and maintenance. IP Application Hosting Services are delivered through Verizon Business’ Smart Centers -- located in Beltsville, Md.; San Jose, Calif.; and London, England -- and offer customers a lower total cost of ownership, higher service-level agreements, and enhanced levels of security, scalability and performance.

Statement on Auditing Standards No. 70 (SAS 70) was established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) for service organizations, such as Verizon Business, to provide the basis for examining a company’s internal controls related to financial transaction processing and for assessing its operational measures and defined control objectives. Areas of examination for Verizon Business’ Data Centers included physical access to facilities, logical access to systems including multi-layered security, network services operations and performance, and environmental controls.

As a leader in delivering advanced IT Solutions, Verizon Business offers a continuum of Managed Infrastructure and Managed Application Services worldwide. Verizon Business IT Solutions and its hosting operations hold more than 450 individual and organizational professional certifications from leading technology companies, including Microsoft, HP and Sun Microsystems. Verizon IP Application Hosting (MCI) is also listed in the Leaders Quadrant in Gartner Inc.’s Web Hosting Magic Quadrant*. According to Gartner, leaders are vendors who are performing well today, have a clear vision of market direction and are actively building competencies to sustain their leadership position in the market.

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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*The Magic Quadrant is copyrighted October, 2004 by Gartner, Inc. and is reused with permission. The Magic Quadrant is a graphical representation of a marketplace at and for a specific time period. It depicts Gartner’s analysis of how certain vendors measure against criteria for that marketplace, as defined by Gartner. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in the Magic Quadrant, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors placed in the “Leaders” quadrant. The Magic Quadrant is intended solely as a research tool, and is not meant to be a specific guide to action. Gartner disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

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