Verizon Enterprise Solutions: 1Q 2018 Highlights

Verizon Enterprise Solutions delivers the promise of the connected world. During the first quarter of 2018, we helped clients around the globe provide better customer experiences and produce better business results through services such as advanced networking, business communications and managed services. First quarter 2018 highlights include:

Public Safety Initiatives

• To further enhance public safety, Verizon unveiled its public safety private core and preemption and mobile broadband priority services utilizing the company’s superior 4G LTE nationwide network. The core separates data traffic of public safety mobile users from commercial users across Verizon’s 4G LTE network. Public safety users can now have their data immediately recognized as public safety with priority access at the tower and through the network.
• Verizon put on its game-day face to support a “blizzard” of data usage at Super Bowl LII, providing both temporary and permanent network infrastructure to support consumers, first responders and visitors to Minneapolis for the big game. This included a 500% increase in wireless data capacity through new cell and small cell sites, and a host of other infrastructure investments including at the Stadium, the airport and the Mall of America. Verizon also worked with the Minneapolis Police Department to install dozens of security cameras on street lights in downtown areas that previously had minimal video surveillance coverage. The cameras were added to existing infrastructure for quick and cost-efficient installation, which were connected, in many instances, to Verizon’s own small cells, lending fiber network power for fast communication. Former NYC and Boston police commissioner, Bill Bratton, toured our network operations center and spoke with local and public safety media about the importance of communications and Verizon’s commitment to public safety. Additionally, Commissioner Bratton mentioned Verizon during a regularly scheduled appearance on MSNBC’s Morning Joe program in a discussion about Super Bowl preparation and safety.

Network

• The launch of Session Border Controller as a Service enhanced Verizon’s software-defined networking (SDN) technology ecosystem by helping customers deploy networking technology faster and more cost effectively. The solution is developed with Ribbon Communications, and enables geo-diverse session border controller deployments.
• To further boost Verizon’s SDN strategy, Verizon announced the launch of Software Defined Wireless Local Area Network (SD WLAN), a managed solution that provides visibility into both the corporate wireless network operations and Bluetooth-enabled devices connected to the network, with an eye toward improving the user experience. The solution leverages patented artificial intelligence and machine learning technology from Mist Systems to improve network management and operations while helping to control costs.
• Verizon and Colt demonstrated industry-first, two-way intercarrier SDN network orchestration. Both companies were able to make near-real-time bandwidth changes in each other’s production networks, marking the first time two-way network orchestration between carrier production networks has been demonstrated anywhere in the world. This event marked another important step in enabling real-time cross-carrier automation.

Security

• We introduced the first Verizon Risk Report (VRR), a new security assessment framework that allows companies to make data-driven security decisions to protect their business information and their customers. The VRR enables enterprises to quantify their current exposure to cyber-related threats, and obtain an understanding of the probability of a potential future breach. It combines Verizon’s Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) series’ extensive cybercriminal activity database, the company’s Professional Service consultants’ expertise and specialized data sources from technology providers including BitSight, Cylance, Recorded Future and Tanium to create an automated, comprehensive security risk scoring framework that identifies current security gaps, weaknesses and associated risks on a daily basis.
• Verizon has teamed up with Guardtime to work on a portfolio of blockchain platform services later this year. Guardtime’s KSI Blockchain uses well-known security functions, including Secure Hash Algorithms, hash trees, and a distributed consensus protocol to establish an immutable audit trail for data movement within and between organizations. The Verizon blockchain platform services will focus on privacy, portability and scalability.

Thought Leadership

• Our 2018 Protected Health Information Data Breach Report provided a timely reminder to the healthcare industry that patient records continue to be a highly sought after commodity amongst cyber criminals. The updated report, underpinned by 1,368 incidents from 27 countries, provides companies with a detailed analysis of threat actors, their motives and tactics.
• Our inaugural Mobile Security Index found that organizations across numerous industries compromised mobile data security because of speed to market priorities and a lack of threat awareness. The report, which is based on interviews with over 600 professionals involved in procuring and managing mobile devices for their organizations,  also offers a comprehensive set of recommendations for protecting the mobile enterprise.

Partner

• Verizon updated its Partner Program (VPP) with a new and improved master agent model to enhance the program’s agility and responsiveness. In addition, an expanded global resale model was introduced to give program members more flexibility in selling Verizon solutions.