Avis Budget Group Ramps up with Verizon Business Managed Network Services
Verizon Business Manages and Maintains Communications Network for Avis Budget Group's 1,900 North American Car-Rental Locations
BASKING RIDGE, N.J., July 2 / / - Avis Budget Group, a leading provider of vehicle rental services, has selected Verizon Business to manage Avis Budget Group's IP network.
Under terms of the three-year agreement, Verizon Business is managing and maintaining the company's wide - and local - area networks linking more than 30,000 employees, as well as 1,900 Avis rental car locations throughout North America, including Canada, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
Additionally, Verizon Business is managing Avis Budget Group's wireless local area network (LAN), which enables the company to electronically process car returns, submit billing information and issue customer receipts using ROVER, hand-held wireless devices that connect seamlessly to the company's data center. The wireless LAN also powers Avis Budget Group's Wizard on Wheels (WOW) IP-based application, which helps manage the movement of airport shuttle buses between airport terminals and car rental locations.
"We believe Verizon Business has the ideal capabilities to operate our highly complex network of 1,900 sites," said Mary LeBlanc, senior vice president and chief information officer, Avis Budget Group. "Our customer satisfaction goals require a highly reliable and integrated network, which we are confident Verizon Business provides."
Verizon Business worked closely with Avis Budget Group to meet the company's aggressive deployment schedule. By leveraging Verizon Business' robust professional service capabilities - assessment, site, program, project and life-cycle management services - Avis Budget Group met its timetable.
Within 90 days, Avis Budget Group's network was successfully migrated to Verizon Business' flagship offering, Private IP. This transition from the former Cendant internal telecommunications group helped free up IT resources to enable Avis Budget Group to focus more closely on its core business activities.
LeBlanc added, "Verizon Business was very focused on meeting our business and networking goals. As a result, we are already realizing many benefits, including improved network performance, greater flexibility and control over networking costs."
Blair Crump, senior vice president of premier and international sales, Verizon Business, said, "Like many of our customers, Avis Budget Group was able to tap our depth of knowledge and experience in deploying and managing a complex network infrastructure. Our focus, commitment and expertise are helping Avis Budget Group to reap the benefits that both network outsourcing and IP can provide."
Today, Verizon Business manages more than 3,700 customer networks in 142 countries, overseeing 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 the 2006 Cisco Systems Global Managed Services Partner of the Year Award. It 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, 1H06."(1)
About Avis Budget Group
Avis Budget Group (NYSE:CAR) is a leading provider of vehicle rental services, with operations in more than 70 countries. Through its Avis and Budget brands, the company is the largest general-use vehicle rental company in each of North America, Australia, New Zealand and certain other regions. Avis Budget Group is headquartered in Parsippany, N.J., and has more than 30,000 employees. For more information about Avis Budget Group, visit www.avisbudgetgroup.com.
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 technology and professional service capabilities, Verizon Business delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world. For more information, visit www.verizonbusiness.com.
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* The Magic Quadrant is copyrighted July 11, 2006 by Gartner, Inc. and is reused with permission. The Magic Quadrant is a graphical representation of a marketplace at and for a specific time period. It depicts Gartner's analysis of how certain vendors measure against criteria for that marketplace, as defined by Gartner. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in the Magic Quadrant, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors placed in the "Leaders" quadrant. The Magic Quadrant is intended solely as a research tool, and is not meant to be a specific guide to action. Gartner disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
(1) Gartner Research "Magic Quadrant for U.S. Managed and Professional Network Service Providers, 1H06" by E. Goodness, D. Neil and D. Willis. July 11, 2006
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