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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Data Roaming Prices Continue to Fall Across the European Union

Laptop and smartphone users in the European Union are able to benefit from increasingly attractive roaming prices, according to data collected from 101 mobile operator websites from the period 6-10 June 2011.

The GSMA's Data Roaming Price Basket Index, released today, tracks market movements in data roaming prices as offers are constantly revised and new ones are launched. It takes the best deals by operator and by market and translates these into per MB prices for a range of different user profiles. For example, the June Index illustrates that the European average of best available postpaid tariffs is less than a euro per MB (euro 0.94) for a medium usage 10MB basket(1).

The Index will be published every two months to provide EU legislators with a current snapshot of dynamism and pricing innovation in the retail data roaming market. That dynamism is reflected in the latest figures, which show the average of each operator's best data roaming tariffs dropped almost 20% between April and June. The increasing variety of differently structured offers is also a strong indicator of a market that is competitive, growing fast and finding its feet.

"The Index will provide legislators and regulators with a 'look forward' complement to BEREC's six-month retrospective reports(2)," said Tom Phillips, Chief Regulatory Officer, GSMA. "It underscores the current market trends that will feed through into the offers that consumers will enjoy tomorrow."

Further highlights from the research, which was undertaken for the GSMA by A.T. Kearney, the global management consultancy, include:

* For 5, 10 and 50MB usage baskets, postpaid prices now average between euro 0.69-1.19 per MB and prepaid prices now average between euro 1.47-1.66 per MB.

* The average heavy user, who is most likely to shop around for the best deal, can get 100MB of roaming data allowance for euro 0.45 per MB with the best available tariff.

"Demand for mobile data services abroad is soaring as consumers look to enjoy the convenience of mobile broadband when they travel. These price movements are good news for consumers and evidence that operators in this fast-growing, innovative market are increasingly responsive to consumer demand for value," continued Phillips.

In developing the Data Roaming Price Basket Index, A.T. Kearney undertook the following approach:

* Data was collected from tariffs available at 90 operators' websites from 28 March to 6 April 2011 and at 101 operator websites from 6 to 10 June 2011;

* The exercise identified 223 and 293 different mobile/smartphone data roaming tariffs for April and June;

* Operators from the 27 EU member states were included in the April Index, with Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland also included in the June Index;

* A basket approach was followed to determine the resulting price per MB;

* Three baskets, chosen to reflect the user profiles of different data roaming users were selected to illustrate the results (5MB, 10MB and 50MB);

* The price per MB was calculated taking into consideration the full price of the bundle if the basket is smaller than the bundle available;

* For each country, and for each usage case, the following were identified:

o The lowest available price per MB based on the best tariff from a single operator;

o The best average price per MB based on a weighted average price of the lowest price tariff for each operator (weighted by each operator's market share).

EU/EEA prices for each use case were then aggregated by weighting the average prices per country with the number of national mobile subscriptions. The full methodology and underlying data are available at

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