Verizon Business Customers to Trial Cloud-Based UC and Collaboration as a Service

To help organizations accelerate the adoption of unified communications and improve performance, Verizon Business yesterday became the first U.S. service provider to deliver Cisco unified communications and collaboration applications in the cloud as-a-service.

The company next month will begin field trials of the new Cisco Hosted Collaboration Solution, introduced yersterday at the Cisco Live! networking event in Las Vegas. The two-month trial will enable participants to see how cloud-based UC&C capabilities can be  used by multiple employees across an enterprise. Since the applications reside in the network, or cloud, organizations can activate employee subscriptions to some or all of the available services, as needed, and pay for the services, once commercialized, on a per-user basis. There is also no need to purchase additional computer hardware and software.

Among the participants in the trial are a multinational auto manufacturer, a women's fashion retailer, and a state government agency. They will employ Verizon Business solutions based on Cisco UC&C capabilities in the cloud, using the technology foundations of Cisco Unified Service Delivery.

"Our customers are eager to put cloud-based unified communications to the test," said Anthony Recine, vice president of networking and communications solutions at Verizon Business. "Verizon Business' field trial of Cisco's Hosted Collaboration Solution builds on a proven track record the two companies have established in developing and delivering innovative solutions to market. It is the latest initiative of Verizon Business' continuing effort to lead the industry toward delivering 'everything-as-a-service' to our customers worldwide."