Verizon Business has been awarded the 2006 Cisco Systems Global Managed Services Partner of the Year Award for the company's outstanding ability to work with Cisco to develop and market comprehensive, scalable managed services for mutual customers of both companies. Cisco selected Verizon Business from among more than 3,000 Certified Channel Partners worldwide for outstanding global and regional performance.

"During 2006 we strengthened our already strong relationship with Cisco, and these awards underscore the success we have achieved together," said Nancy Gofus, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, Verizon Business. "Our collaboration with Cisco supports Verizon Business' position as a leading global managed services provider that delivers the services our customers require."

Keith Goodwin, senior vice president, worldwide channels at Cisco Systems, said, "As a global award winner, Verizon Business has distinguished itself as one of the industry's leading service providers and a highly successful Cisco channel partner. It is an honor and a privilege to recognize Verizon Business for its accomplishments."

In addition to the Cisco global award, Verizon Business received the Cisco U.S. and Canada Managed Services Provider of the Year Award, as well as two U.S. channel awards - one for Excellence in Managed Voice and the other for Excellence in Access Router Attach. The company also received the Cisco Service Provider of the Year Award for Federal Channels.

The Cisco Global Awards are presented to channel partners that meet a specific set of requirements designed to identify the best channel partner in each category. Cisco has built a formalized nomination and selection process that begins with each sales theater, or region, nominating a channel partner for each category. Nominations are reviewed and final selections made by a group of Cisco worldwide and regional channel executives. Customer satisfaction is the basic criterion for all the awards, which also comply with the requirements of the Cisco Channel Partner Program.

Verizon Business, a Cisco Gold Partner, has a worldwide service and support team of more than 6,500 personnel, as well as nearly 1,000 employees with Cisco Qualified Specialist Certifications in advanced routing and switching, advanced wireless, advanced security and advanced unified communications. The company received the Cisco 2005 Global Service Provider Partner of the Year award recognizing the strength and accomplishments of the Verizon Business Cisco Channel Partner Program.

Verizon Business manages more than 3,600 customer networks in 142 countries, overseeing more than 25,000 non-Verizon connections from more than 60 network providers around the world. Verizon Business' industry-leading service-level commitments and award-winning IMPACT management platform underscore a legacy of service and innovation. The company is the recipient of the 2006 Frost & Sullivan Customer Service Leadership Award for Managed Services and has also been listed by Gartner Inc. in the leaders quadrant of a report titled "Magic Quadrant for U.S. Managed and Professional Network Service Providers."