Verizon Business Listed in Leaders Quadrant for Pan-European Network Service Providers 2006

Reading, England (ots/PRNewswire) -

- Assessment Based on Completeness of Vision and Ability to
Execute

Verizon Business has been positioned in the Leaders quadrant among
European network services providers by Gartner, Inc., a leading
industry analyst firm, in its new report, "Magic Quadrant for
Pan-European Network Service Providers, 2006."(i)

The latest Gartner Magic Quadrant examines network service
providers that had annual enterprise network service revenue of
US$100 million or more within Europe. Providers must offer voice,
data, managed network and value-added services to customers across
multiple geographies in Europe, specifically the UK, France and
Germany, plus one of the following regions: Benelux, Southern Europe,
the Nordic countries and Central and Eastern Europe. According to
Gartner, vendors positioned in the Leaders quadrant have a full
portfolio of voice and data services, delivered with good quality
across a wide area at competitive prices. They have a strong vision
of the market and their role in it, and will typically be able to
address a wider range of customers with their service offerings than
others in the Magic Quadrant.

Gartner considered a number of criteria in assessing companies for
inclusion in the Magic Quadrant. Overall, Gartner analysts evaluated
providers on the quality and efficacy of the processes, systems,
methods or procedures that support their overall performance and
enable them to capitalize on their vision, as well as their
understanding of how to maximize the potential of market forces. In
terms of completeness of vision, Gartner looked at market
understanding, business model, product, sales and marketing
strategies, innovation and geographic reach. With regard to ability
to execute, overall viability, market responsiveness and track
record, operations and the customer experience were all taken into
consideration, as well as pricing and product and service offerings.

John Irvine, Verizon Business vice president, international
marketing, commented: "We believe our positioning in the Leaders
quadrant of this latest Gartner Magic Quadrant reinforces the
strength of our global managed and professional networking services
product portfolio. A key focus for us in 2006 has been to ensure a
high-quality global customer experience, whether in terms of network
breadth, product and service availability, or indeed customer-first
service delivery. We are continuing to expand and consolidate our
global offering on an ongoing basis in response to our customers'
evolving business concerns.

"Through the introduction of expanded Ethernet and Private IP
solutions in the European market, as well as the launch of our
industry-leading VoIP portfolio," he said, "we are ensuring that we
are able to meet our customers' needs in terms of product; however,
we have also been looking in detail at all other aspects of the
customer experience and ensuring that all aspects of our service
delivery are working in unison to facilitate excellence in this area.
We look forward to maintaining our leadership in the network service
provider space and helping our customers, in Europe as with the rest
of the world, to realize business benefits through evolving IP
services."

According to Gartner, the network service provider market has
turned a corner in terms of stability and growth prospects, and
service provider models are beginning to become more focused and
differentiated. Third-party network management can help businesses
enhance service levels, reduce costs and improve network visibility.
A Magic Quadrant listing is significant because Gartner recommends
companies consider its report when evaluating the providers to meet
their communications requirements.

Verizon Business was also recognized by Gartner in the Leaders
Quadrants for U.S. Managed and Professional Network Service Providers
in July 2006 and for U.S. Network Service Providers in May 2006.

About the Magic Quadrant

The Magic Quadrant for Pan-European Network Service Providers,
2006 is copyrighted 2 October, 2006, 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.

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
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/.

VERIZON'S ONLINE NEWS CENTER: Verizon news releases, executive
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(i) Gartner Research "Magic Quadrant for Pan-European Network Service
Providers, 2006", 2 Oct 2006; Authors Neil Rickard and Scott
Morrison; ID No= G00143215
Media contact:
Jo Perrin
+44-770-252-5868
jo.perrin@verizonbusiness.com
Web site: http://www.verizonbusiness.com
http://www.verizon.com

ots Originaltext: Verizon Business
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Contact:
Jo Perrin of Verizon Business, +44-770-252-5868, or
jo.perrin@verizonbusiness.com /Company News On-Call:
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