GSA greenlights Verizon systems

Verizon Business has cleared the final hurdle needed to start selling through the Networx Universal contract. The company has completed its testing and verification of its operations support systems and the General Services Administration has approved them.

The systems are the back-end information technology that will handle ordering notification, inventory, invoicing and similar functions. Under the terms of the Networx program, all contract holders have to have systems in place that meet certain requirements. The companies were all required to wait for GSA to verify that the systems meet the standards before they can begin taking orders.

In addition to Verizon, AT&T Corp. and Qwest Communications International Inc. are on Networx Universal, which GSA awarded in March. Qwest and AT&T have completed their testing as well, according to spokesmen for each company.

At Verizon, the process is still underway for Networx Enterprise, a companion contract to Universal of more limited scope. For Universal, however, "All systems are a go. We have been given the green light to accept orders from the government," said Susan Zeleniak, vice president for Verizon Federal, an organization within Verizon Business dedicated to serving federal government customers.

"With our deep experience as a communications provider to the federal government, we stand ready to help agencies transition to Networx," she said.

Verizon expects the testing for Enterprise to be completed shortly. All three Universal awardees plus Sprint Solutions Inc. and Level 3 Communications LLC are on Enterprise, which GSA awarded in May.

Verizon of New York ranks No. 19 on Washington Technology's 2007 Top 100 list of the largest federal government prime contractors.