TAMPA, Fla., Feb. 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Annually one of the largest investors in Florida's economy and infrastructure, Verizon continued to bring communications and computing innovation to the state's consumers and businesses in 2011.  Verizon invested more than $373 million in its Florida wireline communications networks and IT infrastructure last year. 

"A strong and vibrant Verizon in the Tampa Bay region is crucial to the economic well-being of Florida and its residents," said Jeanmarie Milla, Verizon's Florida region president for operations.  "Verizon's advanced networks enable commerce to thrive, businesses to open new markets, students to learn and parents to stay in touch with their children.

"No other company is as interwoven with daily life in the Tampa Bay region.  And few other companies invest in Florida like Verizon, providing an engine for economic growth through our aggressive wireline and wireless network and IT deployment," said Milla.  "Our significant infrastructure investment is removing traditional technological boundaries, empowering people and businesses to connect however, whenever and wherever they want.  This borderless lifestyle brings great benefits to our customers, employees, suppliers and communities."

Verizon Wireline

Verizon's major wireline infrastructure programs last year included:

• Continued deployment of the company's award-winning, 100 percent fiber-optic FiOS TV and FiOS Internet services.  In 2011, Verizon extended FiOS service to more customers in Hillsborough and Pasco counties, primarily to meet local franchise requirements.  By year-end, the services were available to more than 1.16 million Florida homes and businesses.
• Deployment of fiber-optic links to wireless carriers' cell sites throughout west central Florida as these carriers expand their infrastructure to meet ever-growing demand for wireless broadband and advanced 4G services.  In 2011, Verizon deployed fiber optics and advanced transmission electronics to connect 210 of these sites. 
• Upgraded Hillsborough County administrative offices with advanced Ethernet transparent local area network service capable of providing broadband speeds ranging from 10 megabits per second to 1 gigabit per second.  The network was connected to 55 locations in 2011.
• Began pro-active migration of customers in Wesley Chapel to fiber-optic service, in order to improve service reliability over what has been possible with existing copper network facilities.
• Enhancements that further differentiate FiOS services from the competition.  Provided over an all-fiber infrastructure that is much more resilient than other wireline networks, next-generation FiOS TV is built upon a long series of innovations, including a robust Interactive Media Guide that provides an in-depth, interactive TV experience; Flex View and FiOS TV Online, which extend FiOS TV beyond the home to the Internet and a range of mobile devices; free interactive applications including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Yelp, HSN Shop By Remote, TMZ and others; Media Manager, which allows customers to access on their TVs personal photos, music and videos from their computers; and In-Home Agent, which frees customers to use simple online tools to diagnose and resolve a range of service issues.  In 2011, Verizon also:
  • Launched Home Monitoring & Control, which provides customers with remote access, control and monitoring of doors, thermostat controls, appliances and home-energy use.
  • Rolled out MY FiOS, an easy-to-use mobile application that gives customers access to a variety of other applications including Home Monitoring & Control, as well as movies, TV shows and personal content; remote DVR access and control; and billing, account management and customer service tools.
  • Enabled customers who are Xbox LIVE Gold members and who subscribe to both FiOS TV and Internet service to view select live channels through their Xbox consoles through a collaboration with Microsoft. 
  • Upgraded its Interactive Media Guide, with applications for advanced/intuitive search, social networking, Internet video, personal media streaming, high-definition music, remote DVR controls, account management and billing functions, multi-screen/mobile viewing and much more.

Verizon Enterprise Solutions

Verizon Enterprise Solutions oversees all of Verizon's solutions for business and government customers, including its portfolio of enterprise mobility, cloud and IT, strategic networking and advanced communications offerings; specialized solutions for key industries such as health care, travel and transportation, retail, utilities and financial services;  IT consulting services; and the company's full range of global wholesale offerings.

In 2011, the unit launched the Verizon Fraud Management for Healthcare, an advanced-software platform that is tailored to the health care industry and uses predictive modeling technology to examine health care payment requests and route potentially fraudulent claims to case managers for investigation.  In addition, Verizon Enterprise Solutions accelerated its global strategy with the acquisition of Terremark, a leading provider of cloud computing solutions, and CloudSwitch, an innovative IT company that enables plug-and-play simplicity in the cloud. 

Last year, Verizon Enterprise Solutions launched new security offerings, including solutions aimed at halting identity theft, and a number of industry-specific innovations.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to consumer, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, with nearly 109 million total connections nationwide.  Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers integrated business solutions to customers in more than 150 countries, including all of the Fortune 500.  A Dow 30 company with $111 billion in 2011 revenues, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of nearly 194,000.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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SOURCE Verizon