Frost & Sullivan Names Verizon a Market Leader in Hosted Contact Center Services

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., Oct. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- For the sixth consecutive year, Verizon Enterprise Solutions has earned Frost & Sullivan's North American Market Leadership Award for hosted network-based interactive voice response systems, according to a report published by the industry analyst firm. The award recognizes Verizon's continued success delivering Hosted IVR, a business service that is often the first interaction consumers have with a business or government agency.

Interactive voice response services help direct calls to the appropriate department for handling basic customer services, support, collections and sales. Verizon's Hosted IVR is designed to increase customer satisfaction by combining advanced speech-recognition technology with flexible service options to reduce the time customers spend on hold, waiting to speak to a live agent. Verizon's solutions portfolio allows companies to meet customers on their terms by providing multiple communications channels, including Web-based, live chats with service agents.

"On our busiest days, we've been known to handle up to 19 million calls for some of the world's largest banks, retailers and hospitality clients," said Martin Burvill, senior vice president of global operations for Verizon Enterprise Solutions. "For companies that require frequent, high-quality consumer interactions, Hosted IVR helps improve productivity, streamline operations and enhance overall customer experience. This award reinforces our proven record of anticipating evolving business requirements and delivering meaningful technology solutions for our customers."

Frost & Sullivan cited a key advantage for Verizon Enterprise Solutions: its ability to address a wide range of customer requirements through integrated solutions, professional consulting services and strategic partners across its portfolio. For example, Voice Call Back, introduced in April with Virtual Hold Technology, permits callers to schedule a call back, rather than waiting on hold to speak to a live agent. 

In addition, for the third consecutive year, Verizon has been named Genesys Partner of the Year for the company's Hosted Intelligent Call Routing. The solution helps direct customer inquiries across multiple channels -- voice, Web and live chat -- to the most appropriate service agent for handling.

Verizon Enterprise Solutions creates global connections that generate growth, drive business innovation and move society forward. With industry-specific solutions and a full range of global wholesale offerings provided over the company's secure mobility, cloud, strategic networking and advanced communications platforms, Verizon Enterprise Solutions helps open new opportunities around the world for innovation, investment and business transformation. Visit verizon.com/enterprise to learn more.

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 consumer, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, with more than 94 million retail customers nationwide. Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers integrated business solutions to customers in more than 150 countries, including all of the Fortune 500. A Dow 30 company with $111 billion in 2011 revenues, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 188,000. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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SOURCE Verizon