Verizon Business opens for business in Namibia, Botswana

Verizon Business (formerly UUNET) today officially opened for business in Namibia and Botswana. Created by the merger of Verizon Communications and MCI in January this year, Verizon Business enters the market with an unprecedented commitment to customer care and an unrivalled set of IP-based communications solutions and network assets.

"The launch of Verizon Business is a game-changing event in the business communications marketplace," said John Killian, president of Verizon Business.

"While our unparalleled global network assets and next-generation products help customers transform the way they do business, our customer-first philosophy will redefine the service delivery model for our industry. At Verizon Business, innovation is not limited to the products we sell - it is also applied to enhance the standards of excellence that we deliver to the customers we serve."

Angela Gahagan, Verizon Business Country Leader for Africa, added: "We are delighted to be able to bring the benefits of the extensive Verizon Business portfolio to our customers in Namibia and Botswana. We are seeing extensive growth among our local customer base at present, and look forward to working with our customers both in the region, and around the world, to help them to achieve their business goals."

The new Verizon Business portfolio includes:

* Data and IP networking solutions - local-to-global private networking capabilities, including a broad range of Internet access services, world-class private IP, an MPLS-based global networking solution, one of the broadest and deepest Ethernet footprints, optical network solutions and traditional data services such as frame relay, ATM and private line.
* IT services - a comprehensive range of integrated IT solutions enabling enterprise applications to be hosted either at a customer`s location, in the Verizon Business network or within a data centre.
* Customer premises equipment (CPE) - From network-based services to CPE solutions, a full range of tailored solutions to meet individual customer location requirements.

Verizon Business offers a comprehensive portfolio of advanced end-to-end communications and IT solutions to satisfy the needs of its customers. Its global reach, local density and unsurpassed combination of wireless and wireline capabilities enable the company to operate as a single-source provider of complete local-to-global IP networking, security, hosting, application management and mobility solutions.

Throughout the coming year, Verizon Business will introduce a continuing series of new products and services to help customers enhance their business practices and advance their competitive-edge. The company backs its service quality and customer support with market-leading service-level commitments to provide customers with the highest performance and reliability available today.

Verizon Business manages some of the world`s most complex and sophisticated networks with the highest performance commitments available today for customers including ABN AMRO, Nasdaq and the Federal Aviation Administration. As the leading communications provider for the US government, Verizon Business serves the US Postal Service and US Department of Defence through its FTS2001 agreement with the US General Services Administration.

Verizon Business` Fortune 500 customers include Boeing, CSX, DaimlerChrysler, McDonald`s and SunStorageTek.