The two companies will target their offerings toward Fortune 1000 and government customers throughout the United States seeking identical business-class network access at home and the office. The services will be supported by Cisco equipment and delivered over an IP-enabled network made available by Verizon.
The teleworking solutions initially will be marketed to financial services and government customers in New York and Washington, D.C. Customers in these vertical markets were early adopters of teleworking and recognize the benefits of such programs, including increased productivity and employee retention, improved morale, lower real estate costs and a positive impact on the environment and individual health. Verizon is the first U.S. service provider to establish a formal arrangement with Cisco to co-market teleworking solutions.
Teleworking brings a new dimension to worklife in America, said Eric Bruno, vice president, IP offer management, Verizon Enterprise Solutions Group. The powerful combination of Cisco equipment and the IP enabled network made available by Verizon will help companies implement remote access programs. These programs can increase productivity and decrease costs, while assisting employees with balancing work-life issues, such as child or elder care, excessive commuting times or continuing their education.
As more companies have realized the positive impact of teleworking and remote access, its definition has expanded. Today, there are full-time and part-time teleworkers, as well as day extenders – employees working flexible hours at home to avoid commutes, handle global conference calls or be near family members. Products and services from Cisco and Verizon have evolved to meet the needs of these teleworkers and are now bundled together to create powerful solutions that provide high-speed network connectivity and seamless access to corporate applications while maintaining high levels of network security.
Teleworking is no longer just about someone who regularly works from a home location, said Paulette Altmaier, vice president and general manager for the Cisco Premises Communications Group. It is about ease of communication and access for the person who works flexible hours. Our companies are working together to increase the productivity of these workers, and the enterprise as a whole, by offering products that combine high-speed access with best-of-breed security and remote management capabilities.
Cisco will provide business-class platforms designed specifically for home-office applications, including equipment from the Cisco 800 and SOHO Series DSL and ISDN product lines. Verizon will provide IP-network transport and applications focusing on DSL (digital subscriber line) and ISDN (integrated services digital network) communications and connectivity technologies.
The announcement enhances the existing Verizon teleworking offering, known as Virtual Office Solutions, which is fully outsourced and Web-enabled. Offered through Verizon Enterprise Solution Group, Virtual Office Solutions is designed for managing enterprise teleworking and remote access programs.
SOURCE: COMPANY PRESS RELEASE
