eCommerce Journal

Cloud Computing on Ulitzer

The business communications industry is moving rapidly toward a cloud-based global model where converged IP and IT solutions are securely delivered through managed and professional services. Verizon Business continued during the fourth quarter to assemble the key components to lead that evolution.

Highlights of the quarter included the launch of a strategic security alliance with McAfee and new cloud computing and data discovery IT consulting services, along with the rollout of professional services developed specifically for the health care and utility industries. The company also expanded its virtual private LAN service globally and launched cloud-based services aimed both at keeping corporate applications running smoothly and protecting Web-based applications from security threats.

"The capabilities we've put in place and our continued focus on solutions for key industries have set the stage for Verizon to be the leader in delivering truly converged IP and IT services via a secure cloud-based model," said Kerry Bailey, Verizon chief marketing officer-business. "Through this unique and powerful everything-as-a-service model, we will empower our customers to do business better by getting whatever they need, whenever they need it, wherever they are in the world."

Verizon Business during the quarter also enhanced customer service provided through the Verizon Enterprise Center (VEC) global portal. This included enhanced online billing capabilities that provide businesses of all sizes with simplified payment options and enable businesses to analyze their bills, track their communications expenses in detail, and obtain faster responses to billing inquiries.

Continued Focus on High-Performance Solutions

Verizon Business delivered new capabilities supporting the convergence of IP and IT during the quarter including:

• Integrated IT consulting and managed services that offer enterprises a holistic approach to transitioning to cloud computing, while addressing specific security, privacy, performance and governance requirements. The Verizon Cloud Computing Program helps enterprises manage, monitor and maintain their clouds, whether applications are delivered from an enterprise's own data center, or one operated by Verizon or a third party.

• Integrated security solutions to be offered through a global strategic alliance with McAfee Inc. Through this agreement, Verizon Business will offer McAfee's entire line of enterprise security products and services while McAfee taps Verizon Business' data center outsourcing and expert consulting and managed services capabilities. Additionally, the companies will jointly develop a suite of next-generation, cloud-based managed security services.

• Expanded IT security consulting services, called Data Discovery, Identification and Security Classification, that address the heightened risk businesses face because they often do not know where all of their data resides or what that data contains.

• A set of cloud-based Application Vulnerability Scanning (AVS) solutions that help businesses better understand, identify and mitigate potential Web-based, application-security threats. AVS is available in the U.S., Canada and 13 countries in Europe and Asia-Pacific on an annual subscription basis via the software-as-a-service (SaaS) model.

• A cloud-based Application Assurance service that helps business customers keep their network-based business processes running smoothly and reliably. The service provides an enterprisewide view of how applications such as e-commerce Web sites, voice over IP and CRM (customer relationship management) software are performing and how that performance is affecting end-users.

• Expansion of Verizon's Virtual Private LAN Service, giving customers in a number of countries in Europe and Asia-Pacific, as well as additional North American locations, a scalable solution for managing voice, data and video applications across distributed business locations.