Doug on IP Comm » Verizon Business

Verizon gets integrated with Delaware state government

Doug Mohney — Mon, 09 May 2011 13:32:08 +0000

Delaware state government has signed up for a single managed networking solution from Verizon. The solution will link hundreds of state offices and school districts and provide the infrastructure for “the adoption of advanced applications” so the state can consolidate data centers, as well as do telework and enhance business continuity.

Services included IP trunking across a private IP network and burstable shared trunks across the network for more efficient use of telephony (phone) resources. Delaware expects to be able to reduce the number of data centers with the network upgrade.

Everybody intros cloud-communications service for Enterprise Connect

Doug Mohney — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 16:12:58 +0000

NOT from Orlando, Florida – Global Crossing, Verizon Business, and XO Communications all introduced cloud-based communications services today.

You can find more information on XO’s rollout of its HD voice and video service on HD Voice News. Key points out of its release are 1) They’re supporting HD voice and video on an enterprise-basis 2) Pay for service on a per-seat basis, with a choice of Cisco and Polycom phones. Key point NOT in XO’s release – They’re working with Neutral Tandem to exchange HD voice calls with other carriers.

Global Crossing (www.globalcrossing.com) had a rather generic announcement for its CaaS (Communication as a Service) introduction. You know, “combines company’s products, blah-blah, ‘pay-as-you-grow’ blah-blah, integral to our global cloud solution strategy, blah-blah, pay by the seat, blah-blah.” The distinct separator here is a mobile app that allows a user to join or host an audio conference from “popular mobile devices” (See, generic?) by clicking an icon and syncs meetings with users’ calendars.

Perhaps more interesting out of the Global Crossing announcement is it’s declaration that it’s developing additional cloud solutions to include virtual compute, storage and infrastructure capabilities, and a security offering, with future additions including a hosted app development environment and hosted software apps to “support strategic opportunities.”

I’m scratching my head wondering why GC just doesn’t announce it has bought a couple of hosting/cloud-y providers and be done with it. A strategic deal with Amazon would be cool too, but I’m shooting from the hip at the moment.

A write up of Verizon’s announcement on its UC Cloud/per-seat offering should be up later today…

Verizon Business improves VoIP SLA, adds Switzerland to VoIP portfolio

Doug Mohney — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 20:33:07 +0000

Verizon Business (www.verizonbusiness.com) has upgraded its VoIP SLA for businesses and introduced Switzerland to its VoIP portfolio of services.

The new SLA guarantees a MOS score of 4.0 – up from 3.8 – and introduces a new four-hour mean-time-to-repair metric if you’re willing to pay for it. Currently, the SLA is available for all new and existing U.S. Verizon VoIP customers using the company’s Private IP and Internet Dedicated Access services; Europe will get a VoIP SLA in the first half of 2011.

Switzerland gets the full Verizon Business VoIP portfolio throughout the country (but no SLA yet, see above), including hosted IP centrex, IP trunking and IP integrated access. Verizon now offers service in a total of 11 European countries.

One day in the future, all Verizon Business VoIP services will be treated the same around the world, but Verizon has to move all regions of the world to the same platform; right now, the U.S. is on one while Asia is on another.

Cloud computing storming (and obscuring) at all levels: SMB, Tier 1, IP Centrix (ugh)

Doug Mohney — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 16:19:50 +0000

Everyone is on the cloud computing bandwagon, making it the “it” marketing term for people explaining exactly what they do (and the UC people should be scared because cloud is overrunning “UC”). Tier 1 service providers, including Verizon Business and France Telecom, are storming ahead while other people use more – shall we say – questionable language.

The biggest abuse of the cloud computing term seems to come from the hardcore TDM/telco crowd, who have said things like “IP Centrix was the first cloud computing service” and “The phone system was the first cloud service.”

All together now – UGH!

Now I’ve gotten that off my chest, Verizon Business (www.verizonbusiness.com) rolled out an Amazon-like pay-as-you-go cloud computing service earlier this month.

The addition to Verizon’s Computing as a Service (CaaS) portfolio is targeted at the SMB segment and independent departments in larger organizations that need to buy cycles starting at prices less than 4 cents per hour.

All you need is a credit card; just go to the web portal, get some basic verification of your identity, and you’re provisioned “within minutes.” No minimums required, no term plans, no hidden fees.

It uses Verizon’s VMware vCloud Express-platform, so you can get your flavor of Windows or Linux without breaking a sweat.

Across the pond, Orange Business Services (www.orange-business.com) announced its “global business alliance” to provide an enterprise cloud computing solution. Orange has partnered with Cisco, EMC, and VMware under the Flexible 4 Business banner to offer end-to-end cloud computing services for enterprises.

Orange will deliver four types of pay-per-use managed services, but only one looks like a “pure” cloud offering. You can get a full “private cloud” akin to traditional cloud services. Orange has also crammed remote and managed backup solutions, security services (anti-virus and URL filtering), and access to a hosted UC solution under the cloud.

*sigh* Marketing departments.

Verizon and VMware announce enterprise hybrid cloud solution

Doug Mohney — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 14:03:18 +0000

Verizon Business (www.verizonbusiness.com) and VMWare (www.vmware.com) have announced field trails of an enterprise-class hybrid cloud solution.

The new Computing as a Service (CaaS) is built on top of Verizon’s IP network and VMware vCloud Datacenter. Businesses will be able to decide which applications to move to the cloud while allowing them to leverage scalability and cost-effectiveness of a public cloud environment – but with the security of a private cloud setup.

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) was/is the first company participating in Verizon’s field trial. IHG needs more booking capacity during holiday and vacation periods, so being able to crank up more resources via mouse click is a Good Thing for the company.

Verizon Business gets on the IPv6 switch-now-now bandwagon

Doug Mohney — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 16:27:54 +0000

When it comes to migration to IPv6, Verizon Business (www.verizonbusiness.com) is all about it. Be happy, my friends at ARIN.

Fewer than 5.5 percent of IPv4 addresses remain, and ARIN has been increasing its push this year that, yes, really and truly, the world is running out of IPv4 addresses and there’s no way to fudge around it.

Last week, Verizon Business released its tips to help “smooth the transition” to IPv6 – but frankly, if you haven’t started planning a move to IPv6 before today, you are already behind the ball.

Verizon’s checklist items for IPv4 to IPv6 transition include:

Determine business impact.
Determine if your service provider has a plan.
Evaluate your business’ internal infrastructure.
Make an investment in IPv6.
Develop an IPv6 migration plan for internal and external networking.

Needless to say, Verizon Business has been running IPv6 for over a decade – since 1998, to be precise.

Verizon business will “trial” hosted Cisco UC solution

Doug Mohney — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 22:41:26 +0000

Verizon Business (www.verizonbusiness.com) will run field trials of Cisco’s new Hosted Collaboration Solution for the next two months.

The trial is expected to enable participants to see how cloud-based UC&C (unified communication and collaboration) capabilities can be used quicly and cost-effectively across an enterprise.

Participants include “a multinational auto manufacturer, a woman’s fashion retailer and a state government agency” and will use Verizon Business solutions built on Cisco UC&C capabilities on/in a cloud infrastructure.

Verizon Business opens up second data center in Hong Kong

Doug Mohney — Tue, 11 May 2010 17:43:08 +0000

Network Hub, Data Center to Address Growing Demand of Asia-Pacific Businesses

HONG KONG – Verizon Business is strengthening its extensive Asia-Pacific network

Touting its major-league infrastructure spending, Verizon Business (www.verizonbusiness.com) announced it is opening up a second data center in Hong Kong. The new facility will “enhance” Verizon’s ability to deliver new and data center services in the region, as well as provide direct access to Verizon’s global network.

All of this comes about to meet the growing demand of the company’s enterprise customers, multi-nationals who need the capacity to expand into greater China and the rest of the Asia-Pacific region.

The investment is only a part of the $16.8 billion to $17.2 billion that Verizon plans to spend this year in building and operating its network and computing platform.

Located in the iTech Tower in Tsuen Wan, the 3,000 square meter facility features ROADAM technology and interconnections with the four main local carries and a new Private IP node to extend Verizon’s metro network footprint and direct access to Verizon’s MPLS service.

Verizon announces beefed-up Cloud Computing, big pipes for content providers

Doug Mohney — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 19:32:24 +0000

Verizon Business (www.verizonbusiness.com) announced enhancements to its cloud computing offering and dedicated delivery pipes for large content providers; Verizon is bragging about “flowing” up to half a terabyte per second from Internet and video content owners directly onto its network.

Verizon Computing as a Service (CaaS) now supports server cloning for rapid deployment of multiple services supporting the same app, SUSE Linux is a standard service offering, Microsoft SQL Server 2008 has been added as a “click to provision” database server option, and enterprise customers now can use virtual router and virtual private network solutiosn to connect back-end systems to Verizon CaaS and buy metered, burstable bandwidth up to 1 Gbps for surge needs.

Meanwhile, Verizon’s Partner Port Program provides direct connections with content owner servers to the Verizon network at content deliver access points across the country. The direct links allow big content providers to bypass traditional “peering” systems with multi-hop paths that can cause latency and quality issues for data delivery to end users.

The Partner Port Program is utilized by “a number of “ individual content companies as well as content aggregators that offer content delivery services to end users. Current “on-ramps” for customer network include 10 GigE and include support for IPv6 throughout the network.

Verizon plans to scale up this offering with a 100 gigabit Ethernet backbone in the “very near” future and the company is also expanding the offering to Verizon IP networks in Europe and Asia.

Verizon Business goes IT crazy

Doug Mohney — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:15:17 +0000

Racking up its latest win, Verizon Business has announced AMF Bowling Centers as its latest IT win. It’s part of a bigger march that must be giving heartburn to system integrators such as IBM, HP, and EDS.

VB will run an integrated IP network solution for AMF that includes over 300 bowling centers in 38 states, including VoIP, point of sale and credit card transactions, web hosting, video streaming, an on-demand hosted solution for music (think one big jukebox for customers). Later on, a video surveillance system and a centralized energy management system will be deployed.

New IT wins Verizon has announced over the last three months include JetBlue, Nissan North America, and Virgin Blue Group. The company is also making a big push into the the health care IT arena, so it’ll start racking up a bunch of wins in that sector down the road.