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Verizon moves forward after merger

Telephone company begins marketing to the old MCI business clients as it distances itself from the old MCI and moves on.

Marguerite_Reardon.jpg
Marguerite_Reardon.jpg
Marguerite Reardon Former senior reporter
Marguerite Reardon started as a CNET News reporter in 2004, covering cellphone services, broadband, citywide Wi-Fi, the Net neutrality debate and the consolidation of the phone companies.
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Marguerite Reardon
2 min read
Verizon Communications launched an advertising campaign Monday for its new business service division made up of old MCI clients, as the company charges forward after the completion of the mega merger.

Verizon Business, the new unit, is primarily made up of clients the company acquired from the purchase of MCI. The acquisition, which ended up costing Verizon about $8.5 billion, was completed earlier this month.

The advertising campaign also helps Verizon distance itself from the MCI brand. Verizon had already stated publicly that it wouldn't keep the MCI brand, which has been tainted over the years by bankruptcy and scandal. In fact, the company had already announced it was changing the name of the MCI Center, a sports arena in downtown Washington, D.C., to the Verizon Center.

Through new television ads, the company plans to target corporate and government clients. Verizon will continue to offer and expand many of the corporate data services that MCI offered these customers in the past.

It also plans to market its mobile services to these customers. Specifically, Verizon hopes to sign up more business customers for its EV-DO wireless service, which allows workers on the road to access the Internet anywhere the new 3G wireless network is available. It will also push virtual private networking services that allow corporate road warriors to securely connect to the home office.

Verizon Business will compete head to head with the newly branded AT&T. The new AT&T was formed by the $16 billion merger of SBC Communications with the old AT&T, which like MCI had an extensive roster of corporate customers.