Verizon Ethernet Services Receive Certification from Metro Ethernet Forum

Verizon Ethernet Services Receive Certification from Metro Ethernet Forum

April 27, 2006

Certification by Foremost Standards-Setting Authority Underscores Verizon Business' Leading Ethernet and IP Networking Capabilities for Business and Government Customers

    BASKING RIDGE, N.J., April 27 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
Verizon Business today announced that the Metro Ethernet
Forum (MEF), regarded as the foremost standards-setting
authority on carrier Ethernet services, has awarded
certification to the complete suite of Verizon global
Carrier Ethernet services.  A leading provider of these
services, Verizon Business is among the first providers to
receive certification for adopting global Ethernet
interoperability standards as defined by the MEF.

    "Achieving MEF certification is yet another
significant leadership milestone for us in the Ethernet
business market," said Ed McGuinness, chief marketing
officer for Verizon Business.  "Verizon Business is
both adopting best practices and helping to define the
standards that enable companies to benefit from the
simplicity, flexibility and cost-savings associated with
Ethernet and IP networking.  And because Verizon Business
has a local-to-global focus, our customers can rest assured
that their Ethernet services will have the same great look
and feel whether they span cities or continents."

    By meeting the specifications for each of four key
Ethernet service areas identified and tested by the MEF --
E-LAN, Ethernet Virtual Private Line (EVPL), Ethernet
Private Line (EPL) and Dedicated SONET Ring Ethernet --
Verizon received certification for its comprehensive suite
of Ethernet services.  In addition, Verizon was the only
service provider to be recognized for offering metro,
national and global Ethernet services. 

    According to Stan Hubbard of Light Reading, "MEF
services certification is a key step toward driving greater
enterprise adoption of feature-rich Ethernet services
because it ensures that carrier offerings measure up to a
common set of criteria.  When businesses are faced with a
dizzying array of choices between best-effort and
carrier-grade Ethernet services, certification is a handy
tool for quickly identifying a short list of potential
solutions.  Over the longer term, I cannot see major
enterprises willing to buy Ethernet from anyone that does
not provide a certified service, which is why it is
advantageous for Verizon to be among the first certified
Ethernet providers."

    Verizon customer George Gonzalez, director of
technology with Bergen County Technical Schools, said,
"From an enterprise customer perspective, Carrier
Ethernet certification provides the assurance that
Verizon's Ethernet WAN solution conforms to a specific set
of requirements and standards.  Verizon is clearly
committed to providing its customers the best Ethernet
services."

    Verizon Business' Ethernet portfolio includes Ethernet
Private Line (EPL) and Ethernet Virtual Private Line
(EVPL), which provide service in 145 metro markets in the
United States and in nine European countries, as well as
between the U.S. and Europe; E-LAN Services with 53 metro
markets in the U.S.; and Ethernet Access for Private IP and
the Internet throughout the U.S., in 19 European countries
and in seven countries within the Asia-Pacific region.

    Customers have the option of using Ethernet services
either as a stand-alone in the U.S. and Europe, or as a
means of quickly and easily accessing the Internet or
Private IP -- Verizon Business' MPLS-based virtual private
network (VPN) offering and its fastest-growing service in
the U.S., Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.  

    With MEF certification, Verizon Business is providing
one of the broadest, deepest and best sets of Ethernet
connections available today.

    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 http://www.verizonbusiness.com .

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    For more information, please contact:

     Jo Perrin, Europe, 
     Verizon
     Tel:  [phone]

     Maria Montenegro, U.S.
     Verizon
     Tel:  [phone]

SOURCE  Verizon