Verizon Business positioned in leaders Quadrant for Asia Pacific

Reading, (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Leading analyst firm Gartner Inc. has positioned Verizon Business in the Leaders Quadrant, "Magic Quadrant for Asia Pacific Network Service Providers, 2007." (1)

The Gartner Magic Quadrant evaluates providers of "international network services to MNCs (multinational corporations) with networks spanning the Asia Pacific region." To qualify, providers had to "focus on data services, especially IP VPNs (virtual private networks), and increasingly, Ethernet offerings." Most providers also "offer voice services, especially voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and IP telephony in association with IP VPNs."

According to Gartner, "Leaders demonstrate strong vision, especially in terms of defining future market needs. They back their vision by investing ahead of competitors in new or unproven areas, and are generally better positioned for the future. However, significant differences exist between the Leaders in terms of strategy and execution, and none excel in all areas. The long-term outcome is not clear for these providers, as continued challenges may force some to scale back their plans and presence."

Nancy Gofus, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Verizon Business, said: "Our position in the Leaders Quadrant reflects our ongoing commitment to the Asia-Pacific market. In the past year we have invested significantly in the region, with major expansion of infrastructure and resources to support the evolving voice and data needs of our customers.

"We have also significantly expanded availability of our managed services and solutions portfolio, with a particular focus on security, application management, collaboration and managed local area network (LAN) solutions. We will continue to enhance our infrastructure and service capabilities to deliver unsurpassed global solutions to our multinational customers wherever they do business in the world."

This is the second consecutive year that Verizon Business has been positioned in Gartner's quadrant, "Magic Quadrant for Asia/Pacific Network Service Providers, 2007."

Verizon Business was also recognized by Gartner in the "Magic Quadrant for Global Network Service Providers, 2007" (2) and "Magic Quadrant for Pan-European Network Service Providers, 2007." (3)

About the Magic Quadrant

The Magic Quadrants are copyrighted 2007 by Gartner, Inc. and are 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.

About 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 communications, security and other professional service capabilities, Verizon Business delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world.

For more information, visit www.verizonbusiness.com.

1 Gartner Research "Magic Quadrant for Asia/Pacific Network Service Providers, 2007", February 18, 2008, author - To Chee Eng. Gartner RAS Core Research Note G00154548
2 Gartner Research "Magic Quadrant for Global Network Service Providers, 2007", August 8, 2007; Authors Neil Rickard, Eric Paulak; ID Number: G00150113.
3 Gartner Research "Magic Quadrant for Pan-European Network Service Providers, 2007", December 5, 2007, authors - Neil Rickard, Scott Morrison.

Gartner RAS Core Research Note G00153140

SOURCE: Verizon Business
CONTACT: Clare Ward of Verizon Business, +44-118-905-3501,
clare.ward@verizonbusiness.com
Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp094251.html
Web site: http://www.verizonbusiness.com

COPYRIGHT © 2008 - ANTARANEWS

Verizon Business Extends Managed Local Area Network Service to EMEA and Asia-Pacific

End-to-End Management Solution Enhances Network Performance; Allows Customers to Focus on Core Business

Basking Ridge, N.J. (ANTARA/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Verizon Business' managed local area network (LAN) service is now available in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region, in addition to the United States.

Verizon Managed LAN services enable customers to fully or partially outsource the management of their corporate networks. The managed service provides a seamless environment between the corporate headquarters' network and its extended network that connects partners, customers, remote employees and suppliers.

Multinationals receive comprehensive network management experience, expertise, resources and capabilities -- locally and globally. The key benefit for enterprises is a seamless view of WAN (wide area network) and LAN environments that can enhance performance and reliability, while reducing overall network operations costs. It also reduces the risks involved with deploying converged networks and emerging IP-based applications such as voice over Internet protocol (VoIP).

Dustin Kehoe, principal analyst of Current Analysis, said: "The LAN is just as important as the WAN. The end-to-end customer solution enabled by Verizon Managed LAN will be very attractive to the enterprise customer, and makes Verizon Business a stronger managed services supplier."

Mike Marcellin, vice president, global product marketing for Verizon Business, said: "The LAN is becoming an increasingly business-critical and performance-sensitive environment. Our global customers are increasingly looking to bring the same high levels of performance and reliability they have come to expect in the extended enterprise to the corporate headquarters. By outsourcing LAN management to a trusted third party, and tightly integrating it with the WAN, customers are able to enhance their overall network performance and availability and better support their overall business needs."

Verizon Managed LAN Service
Verizon Managed LAN offers a comprehensive, yet flexible range of LAN management capabilities that can be tailored to suit each customer's specific business needs, and are backed by some of the industry's most stringent service level commitments. Verizon Business procures, installs, configures and tests LAN-related equipment and proactively manages the performance and usage of the LAN so businesses can focus on what they do best -- serving their customers. The service uses Cisco Catalyst switches.

Verizon Business' award-winning IMPACT network management platform offers proactive monitoring to help ensure network continuity, reduce downtime and enable more effective bandwidth management. Access to the Verizon Business Customer Center portal enables real-time tracking of the managed-service implementation process, project status, inventory tracking, contacts, change management requests and more.

Verizon Business now manages more than 250,000 customer communication devices worldwide, including more than 65,000 LAN switches, and manages more than 4,000 customer networks in 142 countries. The company was recognized by Gartner in the Leaders quadrant for "Global Network Service Providers in 2007."(i) It is also the recipient of the 2006 Frost & Sullivan Customer Service Leadership Award for Managed Services and the 2006 Cisco Systems Global Managed Services Partner of the Year Award.

About 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 communications, security and other professional service capabilities, Verizon Business delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world. For more information, visit www.verizonbusiness.com.

(i) Gartner Research "Magic Quadrant for Global Network Service Providers, 2007", August 8, 2007; Authors Neil Rickard, Eric Paulak; ID Number: G00150113.

SOURCE: Verizon Business

CONTACT: Clare Ward
Verizon Business
+44 (0)118 905 3501
clare.ward@uk.verizonbusiness.com

Kevin W. Irland
+1-703-886-1117
kevin.w.irland@verizon.com
for Verizon Business

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Web site: http://www.verizon.com

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Verizon Business India receives int`l & national licenses

Basking Ridge, New Jersey and Mumbai, (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Verizon Business India, a joint venture between Verizon Business and Mumbai-based Videocon Group, has received licenses for international and national long-distance services.

The licenses, issued by India's Department of Telecommunications, enhance Verizon Business' delivery of advanced telecommunications services to multinational companies with operations in India, as well as to India-based multinationals.

Verizon Business India will offer a full range of services, including international private-leased circuits with multi protocol label switching (MPLS) and Internet protocol (IP) services. These services will complement Verizon Business' existing Indian operations.

Verizon Business already holds an Internet service provider license in India and has various local ISP facilities. The joint venture plans to deploy new nodes in Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi to support Verizon Business' MPLS, Global Data Link and Ethernet Virtual Private Line solutions.

Blair Crump, group president international & premier accounts, Verizon Business, commented: "India is a key investment location for many of our multinational customers, and these licenses enable us to further enhance our local capabilities to support their strategic business needs. Verizon Business is focused on providing the highest levels of services and capabilities to our customers around the world. We look forward to bringing our expertise to bear in India as we expand our existing presence to provide direct, high-quality, advanced communications services and support to our locally based customer operations."

Verizon Business also announced the appointment of John Samuel as president of Verizon Business India. Samuel, with more than 20 years of experience in the Indian market, will focus on developing business opportunities in India, working with Verizon Business' locally based telecommunications partners.

Verizon Business is well established in the Indian market, with offices in New Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai. Verizon Business is also the only U.S. consortium member of the SEA-ME-WE-4 undersea cable network system, which provides diverse connectivity from India to Europe and Asia. The system, which spans 20,000 kilometers, lands in two locations in India and reaches 14 countries in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Western Europe.

About Verizon Business India

Verizon Business India is the trading name of a joint venture between Verizon Business and the Videocon Group of Mumbai. Verizon Business holds a 74 percent stake in the joint venture, called Verizon Communications India Private Limited and doing business as Verizon Business India; Videocon Group holds the remaining 26 percent.

About Videocon Group

The US$5 billion Videocon Group, one of India's leading business houses.
Videocon Group, with its flagship company Videocon Industries Ltd, is a fully integrated CE & HA enterprise with backward integration in CRT Glass, Color Picture Tubes, Semiconductors and other key components for the consumer electronics, home appliances and components industries.

The company operates in the Oil & Gas sector through its Ravva Oil Field, which produces 50,000 barrels of Oil per day and has over 14 global exploration blocks in the Americas, Oman, East Timor and Australia. Videocon Industries is also making a major large scale foray in the area of Thermal Power in India. Videocon has the widest sales & service network in India, supporting seventeen locally-based factories.

In addition, the Group operates facilities in Italy, Poland, Australia, Oman, China and Mexico. For more information on Videocon, visit www.videoconindustries.com

About 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 communications, security and other professional service capabilities, Verizon Business delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world.

For more information, visit www.verizonbusiness.com

SOURCE: Verizon Business
CONTACT: Jo Perrin of Verizon Business, +44-770-252-5868,
jo.perrin@verizonbusiness.com
Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp094251.html
Web site: http://www.verizonbusiness.com
http://www.videoconindustries.com

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