Verizon Business Provides Secure, Customized IP Solutions for Auto Manufacturer's Operations Worldwide: Verizon Business today announced that its 17-year global communications services agreement with DaimlerChrysler has been extended. In addition, Verizon Business will now deliver managed services to the auto manufacturer's Mercedes-Benz unit. Under the extension, Verizon Business will continue to provide managed network services for DaimlerChrysler worldwide, including DaimlerChrysler's assembly networks in North America and in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Under the new Mercedes-Benz agreement, Verizon Business will provide a combination of managed services to support the luxury automaker's network, end-to-end. "DaimlerChrysler was our first Managed Services customer in 1989, and we have had a concentrated commitment to the success of their business ever since," said Blair Crump, group president of premier accounts for Verizon Business. "From building and managing their custom production networks to helping the company transition to IP in various regions of the world, we continue to deliver leading-edge solutions to meet DaimlerChrysler's evolving needs." In 2004, DaimlerChrysler began its transition to Internet protocol (IP) in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Using Verizon Business' Private IP, the company's fastest-growing service, the auto manufacturer today links 90 business facilities, including production plants across the region, in a fully managed network environment. With MPLS-based Private IP connections in 116 countries, Verizon Business can closely control service quality across geographic regions. DaimlerChrysler benefits from the industry-leading service-level agreements Verizon Business delivers for Managed Services, ensuring the highest level of quality of service available today. Verizon Business' IMPACT -- an award-winning platform that isolates network faults -- helps ensure consistent operation of DaimlerChrysler's network. Verizon Business operates the North American assembly networks DaimlerChrysler uses to help manufacture millions of cars, trucks and SUVs each year, and also provides the global backbone network linking DaimlerChrysler's primary business locations in Stuttgart, Singapore and Detroit. The custom North American data network spans 400 sites, including 32 manufacturing and assembly plants, and delivers computer-generated cues so employees know specifically which parts to assemble at any given point in the production process. DaimlerChrysler also relies on Verizon Business for customer-contact- center services to help deliver high-quality customer service to its global dealers. Since 1998, Verizon Business along with the DaimlerChrysler team has designed, built and managed each of DaimlerChrysler's regional networks, integrating them into a seamless, global infrastructure. As a result, DaimlerChrysler achieves maximum network diversity and resiliency, optimum use of bandwidth and high performance, all in a cost-effective advanced network environment. Verizon Business manages more than 3,500 customer networks in 142 countries, overseeing more than 25,000 non-Verizon connections from more than 60 network providers around the world. Verizon Business is a recognized leader delivering advanced communications and information technology (IT) services for large-business customers worldwide. The company was positioned in the leader's quadrant by Gartner, Inc. in the "Magic Quadrant for U.S. Managed and Professional Network Service Providers, 1H06," and the 2006 "Highest Customer Satisfaction With Large Enterprise Business Data Service Providers" award by J.D. Power and Associates in its annual study of small, mid-size and large-business customers.