Based on the Microsoft , Verizon's Unified Communications service integrates and manages applications for users who don't want to deal with the complexities of managing unified communications across their entire business.

The business applications that Verizon manages as part of its Unified Communications offering include an on-premise Web conferencing application in which users can start or join their own Web conferences in real time; an enterprise voice application that lets users make voice calls to their colleagues through both computers and traditional telephones; and an enhanced presence application that provides users with real-time information on their colleagues' status, location and availability. With regards to its enterprise voice application, Verizon says it can fully integrate with any Microsoft-certified PBX or Session Initiation Protocol trunk and that it will allow users to place calls from their computers "wherever an Internet connection is available."

Verizon says it can host the service for customers at one of its 200 data centers across the globe or the service provider can manage it remotely from the customer's premises. Verizon will also provide users with infrastructure support such as provisioning, patching and monitoring, the company says.

Managed services increasingly have become central to Verizon Business's core product offerings. To improve its managed services capabilities, Verizon Business has invested more than US$150 million in its Impact management platform, one of its major assets in managing customer network services, over the past two years. Currently, the company manages more than 3,700 customer networks in more than 140 countries, as well more than 250,000 customer communications-devices worldwide. It has rolled out several new management services over the past two years, including telecom management services, a WAN optimization service and VoIP migration services for business.