Is That You, Santa Claus? Verizon Business Teams Up With NORAD to Track His Global Trip on Christmas Eve

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – December 16, 2010 –

From Paris, France, to Paris, Texas, finding Santa Claus on Christmas Eve will be as easy as making a phone call.

Verizon Business will team with the North American Aerospace Defense Command to provide and answer the NORAD Tracks Santa hotline so children of all ages can follow Santa Claus' trip around the globe.

Starting Dec. 24 at 2 a.m. Mountain Time, to 3 a.m.  on Dec. 25, children across the U.S. and Canada can call 1-877-HI-NORAD to determine Santa's exact location. (Callers outside North America can reach the hotline by dialing the local Colorado Springs number at 719-556-5211, using the appropriate country code. International charges can apply.)

In 2009, more than 74,000 calls were answered at the NORAD Tracks Santa Operations Center at Peterson Air Force Base.

This year, more than 1,200 volunteers representing military personnel from Colorado Springs, their families and friends, and NORAD Tracks Santa corporate sponsor team members -- including members from Verizon Business -- will be manning the NORAD Santa tracking hotline to inform children of Santa's whereabouts during his yuletide journey.

Children, their parents and the young-at-heart also can visit the NORAD Tracks Santa Web site (www.noradsanta.org), which provides real-time information on Santa's exact location.  The information is available in English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish and Chinese -- along with radar maps and streaming "SantaCam'' video images from cities along Santa's journey.

Santa also can be tracked through Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr and TroopTube.tv.

"The tradition of NORAD tracking Santa has evolved over the years - expanding to a website and adding social media bells and whistles," said Jamie Graybeal, NORAD's deputy chief of staff, communications.  "But the Santa hotline remains at the heart of our efforts to make it possible for the children to call NORAD to speak to a live operator to find out where Santa is on Christmas Eve."

This marks the 55th year that NORAD, the binational U.S. and Canadian military organization responsible for the aerospace defense of both countries, has tracked Santa around the globe. The tradition started by accident in 1955 after a local newspaper misprint prompted children to call the Continental Air Defense Command (NORAD's predecessor) instead of a special Santa hotline phone number.

After hearing youngsters ask if they could speak to Santa, the colonel on duty at the time told the children he could see Santa on the radar screens, heading south from the North Pole - and a tradition was born.

"We are proud to do our part and donate time and network resources to a tradition that warms the hearts of children at Christmastime," said Susan Zeleniak, group president, Verizon Federal. "Helping NORAD track Santa reflects Verizon's commitment to helping people stay connected around the world.''

About Verizon Business
Verizon Business, a unit of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ), is a global leader in communications and IT solutions. We combine professional expertise with one of the world's most connected IP networks to deliver award-winning communications, IT, information security and network solutions. We securely connect today's extended enterprises of widespread and mobile customers, partners, suppliers and employees - enabling them to increase productivity and efficiency and help preserve the environment. Many of the world's largest businesses and governments - including 96 percent of the Fortune 1000 and thousands of government agencies and educational institutions - rely on our professional and managed services and network technologies to accelerate their business. Find out more at www.verizonbusiness.com.

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Verizon's CEO at CES: High-IQ Networks and Smart Collaborations Will Spread Technology Innovation on a Global Scale

LAS VEGAS – January 6, 2011 –

Verizon Chairman and CEO Ivan Seidenberg and Verizon COO Lowell McAdam were joined on Thursday (Jan. 6) by three of the communications and entertainment industry's top executives to kick off the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show.

Seidenberg invited Jeff Bewkes, chairman and CEO of Time Warner; Dr. Sanjay Jha, co-CEO of Motorola and CEO of Motorola Mobility; and Mike Cleron, principal engineer of Google, to participate in his CES opening keynote address, which focused on how high-IQ networks and innovative content and applications are combining to fuel "one of the most innovative eras in the history of technology."

The five executives engaged in lively discussions of their companies' current collaborations and the future of communications and entertainment technologies.  The broad range of topics included multi-screen and mobile video, HD and 3D content, 4G smartphones and converged devices, evolution of the Android platform, and open development.

(Note: The entire keynote address and a transcript of the speech will be available for viewing later in the day. Visit http://www22.verizon.com/onecms/LeadershipTeam/Speeches/Speeches.htm)

During the keynote address, Seidenberg noted that today's more than 2 billion Internet users and 5 billion wireless users form the biggest market for technology the world has ever known.  He said that collaborations between hardware and software, computing and communications, technology giants and thousands of entrepreneurs will be crucial to the industry's ability to deliver relevant, personalized communications and entertainment services to billions of individuals.

"People are using technology to erase the boundaries between home and work, here and there, virtual and real," Seidenberg said.  "They imagine access to everything at their fingertips and they want it now, no matter where they are or what screen they have at hand.  They are challenging us to deliver better products, faster networks, more simplicity and more creativity."

Ultra-fast intelligent networks, including Verizon's advanced 4G LTE, fiber-to-the-home and global IP networks, will spread innovation on a global scale and help lead the way to the future, according to Seidenberg.

"The more we infuse consumer electronics with the power and intelligence of high-speed networks, the faster we'll create new demand and accelerate the cycle of innovation and growth that drives the industry forward," he said.

The CES is being held through Sunday (Jan. 9) at the Las Vegas Hilton Center.  For more information about Verizon at the CES, visit http://newscenter.verizon.com/verizon-at-ces-2011.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, NASDAQ:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving more than 93 million customers nationwide.  Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers innovative, seamless business solutions to customers around the world.  A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 195,000 and last year generated consolidated revenues of more than $107 billion.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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Verizon Introduces New Mobile Services Enablement Platform to Help Businesses Develop, Mobilize, Manage Applications Across a Global Enterprise

NEW YORK – November 16, 2010 –

Multinational corporations want to provide mobile workers with access to key business applications, but must navigate an often complex mix of existing and emerging technology standards.  To help customers address this challenge, Verizon is introducing a new Mobile Services Enablement Platform that helps enterprises design their applications for a mobile environment so that workers can access the applications across different devices - and have the same experience as when the applications are accessed from a desktop environment.

(Note: Listen to an audio podcast about this new enterprise mobility solution.)

The Mobile Services Enablement Platform (MSEP) is the latest addition to Verizon's Managed Mobility portfolio, which enables on-the-go professionals to securely and seamlessly conduct business where and when they need to.  This innovative platform provides a flexible way for organizations to design, develop and manage mobile business applications across multiple devices and carriers. 

In addition to providing customizable application-development templates that can be tailored to create new business-specific applications, the platform is already integrated with major enterprise software applications including Siebel, SAP, Oracle, Remedy, Salesforce.com and Amdocs.  As a result, individuals can have a similar experience with these capabilities whether accessing them from an office or remotely.

"To enable a truly borderless enterprise, businesses need to arm mobile workers with secure access to the applications essential for their day-to-day operations," said Carrie Gray, executive director of solutions marketing for Verizon.  "With this new offering, Verizon now offers one of the industry's most comprehensive managed mobility solutions to help our customers innovate and execute a successful mobile-workforce strategy."

According to the October 28 Forrester Research report, "Managing Mobile Complexity," "enterprises are prioritizing mobility initiatives as a key strategic focus, expanding the use of smartphone devices, and investing in a range of mobile applications to address the needs of information workers." In looking at the coming year, according to the independent report, 46 percent of companies surveyed identify supporting more mobile applications for out-of-office users as a key priority, and 33 percent identify supporting more mobile applications for employees who work in the office, as a key priority.

As mobile application development and delivery become more complex, Verizon is prepared to help customers every step of the way.  The company's IT Professional Services have helped some of the world's leading enterprises conquer challenges associated with managing dispersed technologies and evolving business processes, maintaining consistent application performance, and providing secure access to information.  The professional services underlying the new MSEP solution feature enterprise mobility assessment, enterprise mobility business process engineering, enterprise mobile application development and testing, and enterprise mobile application certification. 

Users also have access to world-class customer care and support via the Managed Mobility Portal, part of the award-winning Verizon Enterprise Center, a one-stop shop for service and account management, information and support.

Verizon Managed Mobility Services Portfolio

The Verizon Managed Mobility portfolio leverages the technology and expertise of leading mobility vendors, including Sybase, an SAP company and industry leader in enterprise mobile software. The Sybase Unwired Platform, which is managed and maintained by Verizon, enables the synchronization and delivery of information between mobile devices and customers' back-end enterprise applications.

Leveraging the strength of its world-class IP and wireless networks, the Verizon Managed Mobility portfolio is designed to improve mobility programs in five key areas, enabling enterprises to subscribe to one or more of the following modules:

MSEP - Supports mobile enterprise applications by enabling the deployment of new and enhanced applications, as well as the mobilization of business processes and traditional desktop applications. Mobile Device Management - Delivers tools, applications and data to employees, where and when required, and creates and enforces flexible mobile policies across devices, groups or individual users. Mobile Security - Enforces access codes; establishes "lock/wipe" policies by which devices that are stolen or lost can be locked by the administrator and data wiped out; encrypts devices and data cards; delivers firewall and antivirus applications; and supports mobile access to corporate applications. Inventory and Expense Management - Tracks mobile assets, usage and spending.  Delivers consolidated and departmental reporting, as well as auditing, electronic billing and chargeback information for accounting purposes.  The same platform can also track global wireline telecom spending. Logistics - Automates procurement workflow and device deployments across carriers via a centralized procurement portal.  Defines approved devices by work group or function, and procures devices and tracks ordering process.

Verizon Managed Mobility services are available throughout the U.S. and in many countries in Europe, with plans to roll out the services in the Asia-Pacific region early next year.  The services, which can be purchased individually or altogether, are sold by the enterprise sales forces of Verizon Business and Verizon Wireless.

About Verizon
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, NASDAQ:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving more than 93 million customers nationwide.  Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers innovative, seamless business solutions to customers around the world.  A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 195,000 and last year generated consolidated revenues of more than $107 billion.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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