Asia PR News

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., July 31 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ –

First-Of-Its-Kind ‘Collaboration Calculator’ Helps Measure Use of Technology
and Culture of Group Work

Organizations will be able for the first time to measure how well their
members work together and gauge how to improve collaboration, using a new
Collaboration Calculator introduced by Verizon Business.

The Web-based tool, developed by Frost & Sullivan for Verizon Business, is
designed to help large businesses and government agencies quickly and simply
measure the effectiveness of existing collaborative initiatives and determine
potential next steps for improving teamwork to help support common business
objectives and improve performance.

"In today’s highly competitive global marketplace, effective collaboration
can be a strategic competitive differentiator," said Nancy Gofus, senior vice
president and chief marketing officer for Verizon Business. "Our ‘Meetings
Around the World’ study last year demonstrated the direct correlation between
collaboration and business performance. This year, we’re making the mechanics
behind that study directly available to our customers to help them assess how
best to use collaborative technologies to help boost their own competitive
edge."

Measuring the Impact of Collaboration and Business Performance

Collaboration is a key driver of business performance, according to
"Meetings Around the World: The Impact of Collaboration on Business
Performance," a study conducted in 2006 by Frost & Sullivan and sponsored by
Verizon Business and Microsoft Corp. The study - which defined collaboration
as an interaction between culture and technology such as audio and net
conferencing, e-mail and instant messaging — also found that professionals
around the world see their collaborative efforts as highly productive and
believe that collaboration through communications technologies can provide a
competitive advantage. Full details of the report can be found at
http://newscenter.verizon.com/kit/collaboration/.

The Collaboration Calculator uses the methodology of the Meetings Around
the World study so organizations can directly measure the impact of their own
collaborative efforts against the study’s Global Collaboration Index.

Like the Meetings Around the World study, the Collaboration Calculator
addresses multiple aspects of a business or government organization’s makeup,
including market and number of employees, an organization’s collaborative
culture, organizational structure and its use of collaborative technologies —
such as instant messaging, audio conferencing, video conferencing, Web
conferencing and meeting scheduler — which generates a Collaboration Index
score. Based on these aspects, the Collaboration Calculator generates an
organization’s Collaboration Index score, which is then compared with the
overall index score in the Meetings Around the World study and, if applicable,
to companies in the region, industry sector and of similar size.

Participants are assigned a ranking of Above Average, Average or Below
Average. The Calculator can also identify gaps in the use of technology to
help guide the way to make improvements.

"This Collaboration Calculator brings the Collaboration Index to life. The
Meetings Around the World study put the use of conferencing and collaboration
technologies under a microscope,” said Brian Cotton, Vice President at Frost &
Sullivan. "This is a good example of a real-world application of that study
and how organizations can put it to use to benefit their operations.”

Customer Response

In an initial deployment of the Collaboration Calculator, Verizon Business
customer Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc. was identified as an above average
collaborator.

Siemens Medical Solutions turned to collaboration technologies, including
Verizon Audio and Net Conferencing, as a way to communicate to a global
employee and client base.

"The cost of travel from moving people around the globe, several times a
year, can really add up," said Nanci Wozniak, Director, Clinical Education
Services, Siemens Medical Solutions. "We use conferencing as a
cost-effective and productive way to move projects forward and for
remote-training initiatives."

In addition to training its staff to deploy software upgrades and
technology changes, Siemens Medical Solutions needed a way to inform its
clients about the upgrades and changes in a fast, efficient and cost-effective
manner. Deploying audio and Net conferencing fit the bill.

Verizon Business, through its expansive global network, is a leading
provider of conferencing and collaboration services, enabling organizations to
conveniently and effectively collaborate, virtually anytime, anywhere, and
helping them improve response time and productivity without the costs
associated with business travel. Verizon Business features a wide range of
audio, video and Web conferencing offerings, IP-based services and some of the
most advanced meeting tools available like Telepresence. With more than 30
years of experience delivering conferencing services, Verizon Business today
handles millions of virtual meetings each month.

About Verizon Business
Verizon Business, a unit of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ), is a leading
provider of advanced communications and information technology (IT) solutions
to large business and government customers worldwide. Combining unsurpassed
global network reach with advanced communications, security and other
professional service capabilities, Verizon Business delivers innovative and
seamless business solutions to customers around the world. For more
information, visit www.verizonbusiness.com.

VERIZON’S ONLINE NEWS CENTER: Verizon news releases, executive speeches and
biographies, media contacts, high quality video and images, and other
information are available at Verizon’s News Center on the World Wide Web at
www.verizon.com/news. To receive news releases by e-mail, visit the News
Center and register for customized automatic delivery of Verizon news releases.

SOURCE Verizon Business

CONTACT: Clare Ward of Verizon Business,
+44 (0) 118 905 3501, clare.ward@verizonbusiness.com/

Web site: http://www.verizonbusiness.com
http://newscenter.verizon.com/kit/collaboration /
(VZ)