Microsoft, Verizon join forces to deliver UC&C to SMBs

By SMBWorld Asia Editors | Dec 13, 2010

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Small and medium-sized businesses increasingly want to tap the same kinds of advanced collaboration tools as large enterprises, but often are restrained by limited IT budgets, fewer personnel and less technical savvy.  To address this issue, Verizon Business and Microsoft Corp. are jointly delivering Verizon unified communications and collaboration capabilities with Microsoft Online Services, a cost-effective, cloud-based solution designed specifically for small and medium-sized businesses.

Small and medium-sized businesses can execute an effective UC&C strategy by combining Verizon voice, Internet, security, mobility and backup services with a host of popular Microsoft capabilities that can be packaged together and delivered via the cloud. Verizon also offers professional services to help assess, design and implement a complete UC&C solution.

“This new solution can be a catalyst for more efficient, automated and interoperable business processes for our small- and medium-sized-business customers,” said Carrie Gray, executive director of Solutions Marketing for Verizon Business. “Together with Microsoft, we’re delivering a simple, cost-effective opportunity for businesses to adopt cloud-based messaging and UC&C capabilities and improve their business performance.  This solution is ideal for companies with limited resources to take advantage of these advanced communications capabilities, which are becoming a business essential.”

Through Verizon UC&C with Microsoft Online Services, customers can boost their messaging and collaboration capabilities while achieving savings of as much as to 40% compared with what they would pay to separately purchase these key Microsoft applications.

The combined solution suite features Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Office Live Meeting, and Office Communications Online (OCO). These capabilities are designed to work together to deliver a seamless experience across a PC, phone or browser or mobile device for access to business applications virtually anytime, anywhere.  Since Verizon UC&C with Microsoft Online Services is a hosted solution, customers simply pay a subscription fee for each user, without having to invest in separate equipment. The single-price subscription and features are billed monthly for each worker, and customers can add users as needed.