Verizon Business wins managed services contract with National Grid

Verizon Business (NYSE: VZ) has been tapped by National Grid (NYSE: NGG) to manage its communications services infrastructure.

The far-reaching services contract covers everything from wide and local area networks, telecom services, voice, security as well as video conferencing.

Although National Grid has grown its energy holdings in the U.S. and in the UK, the growth came at the price of a fragmented IT environment. To resolve that issue, National Grid sought a partner that could help realign its business communications network infrastructure while working in conjunction with its own in-house IT team.

David Lister, National Grid's global CIO, said that the utility plans to spend more than $27 million in the next two years to modernize its network and telecom infrastructure working in conjunction with Verizon.

"At National Grid we are challenging ourselves to create an environment that anticipates and exceeds the expectations of our customers, and our communications network is the information backbone of meeting that challenge." Lister said in a release. "Our alliance with Verizon is a meaningful step toward meeting the demands of a 21st century business with customers who deserve quality service at better value."

But the National Grid win is also a proof point of Verizon's increasing focus on providing targeted services to vertical market segments such as utilities that have typically relied on proprietary technology operate their businesses. Earlier this year, Verizon conducted a study with the Utilities Telecom Council (UTC) to better understand utility companies' communications requirements.

For more:
- see the release

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