To whom does a company turn for combined IT and telecommunication services?

The trend toward IT/telecom convergence is gaining momentum, with the growth of the Internet as an enterprise backbone… IP telephony… virtual storage networks… the emergence of the real-time enterprise and a host of other technology and market evolutions. Convergence is blurring the lines that have traditionally separated the worlds of IT and telecommunications; and it is market-driven – a clear and compelling reflection of urgent business needs.

IT management needs to deliver short-term business value: There is acute pressure on IT decision makers to counter the effects of a declining economy, tightening markets and increasing regulatory requirements. Three quarters of senior executives responding to a recent Information Week survey state they have directed their IT departments to shorten operational data delivery.

But the marching orders create conflicting challenges: Fix security and business continuity shortcomings as well as synchronize and leverage existing IT assets all with current resources. In other words, create greater value while reducing costs.

THE NEED FOR INFRASTRUCTURES THAT ACCOMMODATE BUSINESS-CRITICAL APPLICATIONS:
Companies are looking for services to create IT infrastructures that can accommodate the ever-increasing complexity of enterprise operations.

This involves everything from managing multimedia applications to streamlining connectivity for mobile devices. Of course, all of this needs to happen without increasing capital outlays.

THE NEED FOR INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS:
Companies are looking to procure integrated end-to-end services – not just discrete connections, devices or software. IT departments can no longer afford to view IT infrastructure in separate pieces; they must consider the strategic whole – as it relates to delivering value to the market. And if there is a convergence of technologies, there must also be a convergence of technology management. For help, companies of all sizes are looking outside of their own organizations — to service providers who can offer complete, integrated solutions.

WHICH PROVIDER DOES THE MARKET TURN TO?
Essentially, convergence is where IT and telecommunications intersect for market-driving Business-to-Business (B2B) and Business-to-Consumer (B2C) communications. This is real-time business territory that requires the intelligent combination of both IT and telecom assets, and it defines three major business concerns: Security compliance, return on IT investment and business continuity. To whom does a company turn to address these issues – the IT services provider or the telecom services provider? Again, converged technology – but where’s the converged management responsibility?

A TRUE CONVERGED SERVICES PROVIDER:
As part of a global 68 billion dollar telecommunications company, Verizon IT is one of the very few outsourcing organizations with the reach and resources to provide true converged services. As a single-source provider of both IT and telecommunication solutions, Verizon IT resolves the convergence management and accountability problem -- enabling customers to realize the additional business value they seek in their enterprise infrastructure.

Mike Luebke, Verizon IT President, stated, "Our customers are the real winners now that they have access to a full range of IT and telecommunications services in a bundled package. And we’re actively changing the mindset of customers, so they think of Verizon as an information carrier, provider and consultant, and not just as a telecommunication carrier."
The combination of managed network services and managed IT services creates a holistic customer offering, with solutions for applications, infrastructure, end-user and bandwidth requirements. "In addition to providing a single, accountable provider, this converged approach makes solutions more affordable and sensible for customers," said Luebke.

SOLUTION SERVICES INCLUDE:

This would be a tough act for any other organization to pull off. "The bottom-line," according to Luebke, "is that Verizon IT’s portfolio of managed IT services, access to world-class networking capabilities, and our customer-first business focus, all combine to put us in a unique position in the industry. Verizon IT is able to converge and manage an enterprise's WAN, LAN and IT infrastructures to the degree and at a pace that makes sense for our clients. That’s what leadership is all about."

FAQ: Verizon Information Technologies