Verizon Business Grows UCC with Cisco TelePresence and Microsoft VoIP Certification

| Mar 23, 2010 | Business Network Services - U.S. | Analyst: Brian Washburn

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Event Summary

March 22, 2010 – Verizon Business is adding support for managed Cisco TelePresence System (TPS) services, and for SIP trunking with Microsoft Office Communications Server (OCS) 2007 r2, as part of its unified communications and collaboration (UCC) portfolio. The carrier is establishing two video exchanges that connect to its Private IP network and offer service redundancy, and two video NOCs to offer 24-hour concierge services. Verizon Business SIP trunking for OCS 2007 r2 is also compatible with Verizon Burstable Enterprise Shared Trunks (BEST) service.

Quick Take

Analytical Summary

• Current Perspective: Moderate on Verizon Business adding Cisco TPS and certification for Microsoft OCS 2007 r2 SIP trunking, because the carrier needed to answer large enterprises looking at the full range of telepresence and VoIP options. In just a few years, Cisco established itself as the go-to platform for global carrier telepresence; with OCS 2007 r2 VoIP, Microsoft is a legitimate enterprise voice communications contender for some scenarios. Verizon needs to have these options to show large enterprises that it is ready to meet their future plans.

• Vendor Importance: High to Verizon Business, because the carrier addresses its prior lack of a hosted video exchange for multipoint Cisco TPS support. The carrier also will move services on hosted video exchanges for Tandberg and Polycom in-house before year-end 2010, which addresses concerns about the future of its Nortel telepresence services partnership (a business now owned by Avaya). SIP trunking is attracting a great deal of enterprise attention (if not business yet), and Microsoft-certified SIP trunking support should fill enterprise RFP checkboxes.

• Market Impact: Moderate to telepresence and SIP trunking competitors, because Verizon is closing UCC service gaps by launching managed Cisco telepresence and video exchanges; by planning to move managed Tandberg and Polycom telepresence and video exchanges in-house; and by getting IP trunking certification for Microsoft OCS. Verizon's VoIP compatibility with BEST shared trunking service adds an extra positive spin on the carrier's IP trunking certification for the platform.

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Competitive Strengths and Weaknesses

Analytical Perspective

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