BASKING RIDGE, N.J., Oct. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Business has been selected by Manulife Financial to design, deploy and manage an advanced IP-based international network.

Under a new five-year agreement, Verizon Business will consolidate and standardize Manulife Financial's discrete networks, creating a single IP-based infrastructure connecting its regional networks in 15 countries and territories.

The new managed network will deliver enhanced availability, reliability and redundancy, to provide Manulife Financial's more than 20,000 employees with access to the corporate information and resources required to support the financial protection and wealth management requirements of its millions of customers.

Manulife Financial selected Verizon Business for its breadth of managed services and global support capabilities, especially throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Additionally, Manulife found that Verizon Business' experts thoroughly understood Manulife's strategic objectives and vision for consolidating and improving its infrastructure.

"Over the past decade, Manulife Financial experienced significant organic growth and executed a series of acquisitions and mergers," said Joseph Cooper, executive vice president and chief information officer, Manulife Financial. "Our new global network will position Manulife to rapidly integrate future acquisitions and serve as the foundation for the deployment of global applications and advanced technologies such as VoIP and video."

Modernizing Manulife Financial's IT Infrastructure

Verizon Business is deploying a fully managed international wide-area network to connect and unify Manulife Financial's regional networks in the U.S., Canada and the Asia-Pacific region. Backed by Verizon Business' extensive experience in managing complex IP-based networks, as well as its industry-leading service level commitments, the new infrastructure will provide a scalable solution for future growth.

With Verizon Business' managed services professionals handling day-to-day network management activities, Manulife Financial's internal IT staff can now focus on other key activities such as deploying advanced tools to enhance employee productivity and streamline business processes.

"Manulife Financial demonstrates how the power of IP networks and managed services can be harnessed to truly enable a global business," said Blair Crump, group president -- worldwide sales, Verizon Business. "Increasingly, enterprises around the globe are transforming their operations to become more efficient and relying on IP networks to serve as the catalyst for enhancing their business model."

Verizon Business delivers a comprehensive portfolio of managed services, managing 260,000-plus security, network and hosting devices across more than 4,200 customer networks spanning 142 countries and territories. The company's global infrastructure, one of the most connected IP networks in the world, provides a solid foundation from which to serve multinational corporations and government agencies.

About Manulife Financial

Manulife Financial is a leading Canadian-based financial services group serving millions of customers in 22 countries and territories worldwide. Operating as Manulife Financial in Canada and Asia, and primarily through John Hancock in the United States, the company offers clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management services through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners. Funds under management by Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries were Cdn$421 billion (US$362 billion) as of June 30, 2009. Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under '945' on the SEHK. Manulife Financial can be found on the Internet at www.manulife.com.

About Verizon Business

Verizon Business, a unit of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ), is a global leader in communications and IT solutions. We combine professional expertise with one of the world's most connected IP networks to deliver award-winning communications, IT, information security and network solutions. We securely connect today's extended enterprises of widespread and mobile customers, partners, suppliers and employees -- enabling them to increase productivity and efficiency and help preserve the environment. Many of the world's largest businesses and governments -- including 96 percent of the Fortune 1000 and thousands of government agencies and educational institutions -- rely on our professional and managed services and network technologies to accelerate their business. Find out more at www.verizonbusiness.com.

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SOURCE Verizon Business