Verizon Hosted IP Telephony and UCaaS Award Write Up

2017 North American
Hosted IPTelephony and UCaaS
Product Line Strategy Leadership Award

BEST PRACTICES RESEARCH
© Frost & Sullivan 2017 2 “We Accelerate Growth”
Contents
Background and Company Performance ........................................................................3
Industry Challenges..............................................................................................3
Product Line Strength and Customer Impact............................................................4
Conclusion.........................................................................................................12
Significance of Product Line Strategy ..........................................................................13
Understanding Product Line Strategy Leadership..........................................................13
Key Benchmarking Criteria ..................................................................................14
Best Practices Award Analysis for Verizon....................................................................14
Decision Support Scorecard .................................................................................14
Product Line Strength .........................................................................................15
Customer Impact ...............................................................................................15
Decision Support Matrix ......................................................................................16
Best Practices Recognition: 10 Steps to Researching, Identifying, and Recognizing Best
Practices .................................................................................................................17
The Intersection between 360-Degree Research and Best Practices Awards.....................18
Research Methodology ........................................................................................18
About Frost & Sullivan ..............................................................................................18

Background and Company Performance
Industry Challenges
A growing number of businesses around the world are launching digital transformation
projects to improve operational efficiencies and better address evolving customer
demands. As part of broader transformational initiatives, businesses are moving various
software workloads to the cloud to become more agile and responsive. Communications
solutions are often a critical part of cloud migration strategies, driving demand for hosted
Internet protocol (IP) telephony and unified communications as a service (UCaaS).
Businesses adopting cloud communications challenge providers with a diverse set of
technology requirements. Business size, among other factors, often determines customer
purchasing criteria and investment priorities. Limited budgets and IT resources dictate
investment decisions among small businesses. Price, bundled offerings, as well as ease of
use and management are top concerns for small businesses with busy, multi-tasking
employees. Medium–size businesses are often budget-conscious, but tend to evaluate
cloud solutions more holistically, from a total cost of ownership (TCO) point of view.
Solution reliability and support also play an important role in medium-business technology
investment decisions.
Cloud solution and provider selection criteria change significantly with larger, distributed
organizations. Such customers typically operate complex multi-vendor communications
environments which require considerable planning and expense to migrate to the cloud.
Large businesses often choose hosted IP telephony and UCaaS solutions that support
customization and flexible integration with existing premises-based and cloud solutions,
and allow the possibility to deploy hybrid cloud/premises-based architectures. They also
often present more stringent security and industry compliance requirements, particularly
in the government, healthcare and financial services industries.
Few hosted IP telephony and UCaaS providers today cater to the full spectrum of business
sizes and communications solution requirements. Over the years, most providers have
focused on certain customer segments in which they can offer the greatest benefits. The
majority of early hosted IP telephony providers have gained significant share in the under-
served small-business customer segment, where the need to reduce CAPEX has driven
strong demand for cloud solutions. A growing number of providers are looking to
penetrate the medium-size and large customer segments to scale operations and improve
customer retention rates. Many providers are also developing solutions for specific
customer profiles such as entrepreneurs and highly mobile users who are severing the
cord with desktop communications and using mobile devices as their primary endpoints.
As the North American hosted IP telephony and UCaaS market matures and the
competitive landscape increasingly consolidates, provider portfolio breadth and depth will
become increasingly important. Providers with differentiated offerings for small, medium
and large businesses can grow more rapidly and better leverage varying demand trends in

different customer segments. Additional services, including session initiation protocol
(SIP) trunking, multi-protocol label switching (MPLS), as well as professional and managed
services enable providers with robust UCaaS portfolios to deliver even greater value to
their customers.
Product Line Strength and Customer Impact
Verizon stands out among competitors with its broad hosted IP telephony and UCaaS
portfolio catering to the diverse North American business market. A pioneer in the hosted
communications and voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) space, Verizon constantly evolves
its next-generation services portfolio to address ever-changing customer demands.
Through a visionary strategy and effective execution it has established itself among the
top four North American hosted IP telephony and UCaaS providers in terms of installed
users.
Breadth of Product Line
Verizon was one of the first telecom carriers in North America to launch VoIP services in
the early 2000s and has since then expanded its product line to satisfy different customer
segments’ distinct communications requirements. Verizon’s original Hosted Internet
Protocol Centrex (HIPC) offering gained significant traction over the years and enabled
Verizon to develop considerable VoIP and hosted communications expertise. Verizon HIPC
leverages the provider’s access network services and significant engineering resources to
deliver highly reliable hosted solutions for businesses migrating to the cloud.
Launched in 2012, Virtual Communications Express (VCE) is designed for small and
medium-size businesses (SMBs). Its flexible cloud architecture allows Verizon to deliver
services over the public Internet and to integrate its communications applications with
third-party software such as Google G Suite.
Verizon Unified Communications and Collaboration as a Service (UCCaaS) based on the
rich Cisco Hosted Collaboration Solution (HCS) feature set and multi-instance architecture
caters to mid-market and large-enterprise customers demanding greater security and
customization. Dedicated hosted solutions leveraging Avaya and Microsoft Skype for
Business infrastructure provide additional options to businesses with more stringent
requirements that are looking for custom-tailored communications solutions managed by
an expert third party.
Most recently launched, Verizon One TalkSM
is a truly innovative mobile UCaaS solution
delivered by the Verizon Wireless division. Uniquely positioned as a mobile-first offering,
One Talk is designed for highly mobile professionals and is suited for businesses that have
already adopted mobile-only communications or are planning to do so in the future.
A broad voice, data and video services portfolio including SIP trunking, web collaboration
(e.g., Cisco WebEx and Spark), MPLS, wireline and mobile communications, as well as
managed and professional services complement and enhance the value of Verizon hosted

IP telephony and UCaaS offerings. Overall, Verizon is strongly positioned with one of the
most comprehensive business services portfolios in the North American market.
Scalability and Features
Business technology investment criteria vary in terms of communications and
collaboration feature sets, security levels, terminals, and types of architecture. Most
providers have traditionally focused on certain customer segments and their specific
requirements. In fact, the majority of hosted IP telephony solutions available today have
been designed to appeal to small and medium-size businesses. In spite of the large
number of market participants, choices have been limited over the past decade,
restraining market adoption. Not so with Verizon.
Verizon’s diverse hosted IP telephony and UCaaS services portfolio allows customers to
choose the type of solution that best fits their needs. From the simple, intuitive design of
Verizon One Talk to the comprehensive applications stack of Cisco-based UCCaaS, the
provider’s offerings comprise compelling feature sets tailored for different customer and
user types. Each solution is positioned to address specific customer objectives and pain
points without compromise.
Verizon One Talk bridges the gap between mobile devices and business-grade telephony
services. One Talk enables users to access UC services on their mobile devices, an office
desk phone or a combination of the two, based on their preferences, tasks and
environments. For Verizon Wireless customers, One Talk also features integration with the
mobile device’s native dialer, allowing users to easily make business calls without the
need to download a soft client and launch an app each time they dial a number. For
businesses with flexible bring your own device (BYOD) policies, employees can also utilize
their personal device, regardless of mobile carrier, and access the same set of UC features
with a simple app download. For users with both mobile and desktop phones, One Talk
provides a truly integrated mobile and office experience, with one-number reach across
both devices. Office-bound employees can choose from a broad selection of desk phones,
ranging from entry-level models with basic functionality to premium video-enabled
devices. For highly mobile users, One Talk provides a mobile-only experience that can be
tied to the business line rather than a mobile number. When needed, seasonal and
temporary workers can also be assigned a business number that functions alongside their
existing mobile number.
HIPC is Verizon’s most mature product for the hosted IP telephony and UCaaS market.
The cost-effective solution has resonated well with small and medium-size businesses, but
can support customers of nearly any scale. It delivers a range of capabilities such as
private branch exchange (PBX), voice and unified messaging, auto attendant, presence,
conferencing, Web-based portal access, and more. Typically bundled with Verizon MPLS or
Verizon Internet Service, HIPC offers high availability, reliability, and quality of service
(QoS).

VCE was launched in response to customer demand for greater simplicity and speed in
service provisioning and management. Based on BroadSoft’s latest platform and its most
advanced capabilities, VCE targets primarily the mid-market. Though similar in
functionality to HIPC, VCE offers greater customer value through simplified and
accelerated service deployment. Customers can subscribe to the service and have it
operational within five to seven business days with minimal involvement of Verizon
engineers or support staff.
A set of self-provisioning and other tools reduces implementation costs for both Verizon
and customers deploying VCE. Although the service was designed for plug-and-play
installation, customers can turn to dedicated Verizon support staff for assistance. VCE
offers additional benefits including an enhanced customer portal and integrations with
popular third-party solutions such as Google G Suite. Google G Suite productivity
applications users can download a VCE plugin from the G Suite Marketplace and enable
click-to-call from within Gmail, and Google Calendar. Furthermore, Verizon allows VCE
customers to deploy the service “over the top”—over any broadband connection. A probe
installed at the customer’s site enables Verizon to monitor the quality of the broadband
connection and take corrective action ensuring maximum service quality. This capability is
particularly valuable to clients with existing broadband contracts with other providers or
those that wish to shop around for the best price.
Designed specifically with large, distributed organizations in mind, Cisco HCS-based
UCCaaS enables Verizon to target the high end of the market which has been most
hesitant to move its voice infrastructure to the cloud. The multi-instance, virtualized UC
platform allows multiple businesses to share the same hardware infrastructure to provide
Verizon and customers with significant cost savings. Dedicated software instances, on the
other hand, address customer security concerns and enable Verizon to deliver greater
customization feature, functionality and billing customization by business site or
department. The UCCaaS offering allows Verizon to cost-effectively migrate customers
with existing investments in Cisco infrastructure and devices to cloud services. Such
businesses can continue to use their existing endpoints with the new service and deploy
hybrid (cloud and premises-based) architectures as a temporary or permanent solution.
Customers can also take advantage of tighter integrations with other Cisco cloud
applications such as WebEx, Jabber, Spark and TelePresence, as well as integrations with
a large variety of third-party premises-based platforms and applications.
Verizon hosted and managed services support both Microsoft Lync 2013 and Skype for
Business Server 2015 platforms in private cloud deployments. The offerings deliver a
broad set of capabilities including IM, presence, point-to-point and multiparty audio, video
and web conferencing, collaboration, PSTN dial-in and dial-out, enterprise voice, and PBX
and application integration. Verizon enables integration with Office 365, Exchange Unified
Messaging, SharePoint, Skype for Business Online as well as third-party solutions.
Across Verizon’s hosted IP telephony and UCaaS solutions, businesses have a choice of
feature sets, architectures (dedicated, multi-instance or multi-tenant), connectivity

(private lines with MPLS or public broadband), endpoints (mobile or desktop phones,
mobile or desktop soft clients), and more. All services are either available globally or
support international users as part of US deployments. Overall, Verizon’s hosted IP
telephony and UCaaS portfolio scales to address the entire spectrum of North American
businesses.
Technology Leverage
Verizon leverages industry-leading platforms and technology partnerships to support its
robust hosted IP telephony and UCaaS portfolio. Verizon HIPC, VCE and One Talk are all
based on BroadSoft BroadWorks, the industry’s most widely deployed multi-tenant
platform. Through a comprehensive UCC feature set, carrier-grade quality, reliability, and
security, and a choice of architecture and deployment models, BroadWorks provides
service providers and end customers with a compelling alternative to legacy telco services
and premises-based solutions. Several tightly integrated platform network elements
enable high levels of service reliability. As a standards-based platform using common
protocols (such as SIP) and open interfaces, BroadSoft enables Verizon and third-party
application developers to quickly and easily launch new services and applications, and
thus promptly respond to evolving customer needs. BroadSoft system functionality is
distributed across multiple servers for optimized performance and to meet IP multimedia
subsystem (IMS) specifications.
BroadSoft’s extensive communications and collaboration feature set includes:
• Rich business telephony including extension dialing, call park, and hunt groups
• Voicemail and unified messaging
• Attendant and auto attendant
• Multi-channel contact center
• Audio, web and video conferencing
• Mobility (single business number service for incoming and outgoing calls on mobile
devices)
• Enterprise instant messaging (IM)/ chat and presence
• Collaboration (file sharing, desktop sharing)
BroadSoft’s platform also supports integration with third-party business applications,
including leading customer relationship management (CRM) (Salesforce, Sugar CRM, etc.),
messaging (Microsoft Outlook, Gmail, IBM Notes, etc.), and vertical business applications
(eAgent, Clio, etc.). Available APIs allow service providers, customers and third-party

technology developers to integrate BroadSoft technology-based services with various
custom applications for ultimate flexibility and value.
Verizon UCCaaS is based on HCS, Cisco’s flagship solution for the hosted IP telephony and
UCaaS industry. The robust feature set enables Cisco partners such as Verizon to support
continually evolving customer communications needs. At the heart of HCS is a virtualized,
multi-instance version of Cisco’s leading IP telephony solution, Unified Communications
Manager (UCM). A mature and proven platform, Cisco UCM is established as one of the
most advanced call-control platforms in the market. Like UCM, HCS supports Cisco Unity
Connection (for voice and unified messaging), Cisco’s entire endpoint portfolio including IP
phones, TelePresence and Jabber (a UC client application for Windows, iOS, Android, and
Blackberry, which provides presence, IM, voice, HD video, voice messaging, desktop
sharing and conferencing), Cisco Unified Mobility (for Nokia, iOS, and Android clients),
Cisco WebEx Meeting Center, and Cisco Unified Enterprise Attendant Console. Cisco also
offers Contact Center for HCS, as well as enhanced mobility, including VPN-less access for
Jabber users and native mobility features such as single-number reach and clientless
network-based fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) options.
Cisco Spark provides additional options for UCaaS customers to add advanced messaging
and collaboration capabilities to their HCS-based services. Spark Hybrid services help
ensure tight integration and strong synergies between Spark and other Cisco technology
investments. More specifically, Hybrid Call Services integrate customers’ existing Cisco call
control solutions with the Cisco Spark service. Thus businesses can use the Cisco Spark
app as a mobile soft client for voice and video calling, enable instant desktop sharing for
Cisco Spark users on the same call, and access call history from on-premises phones
through the Cisco Spark client. Hybrid Calendar and Hybrid Directory services are also
available.
Partnerships with Avaya, Microsoft and other technology vendors enable Verizon to deliver
dedicated hosted services, as well as premises-based solutions to business customers.
Price/Performance Value
Verizon’s hosted IP telephony and UCaaS solutions provide compelling feature sets at
competitive prices tailored for the respective customer segments. With their extensive
functionality and high reliability Verizon’s services deliver excellent value to businesses
moving their communications to the cloud.
Pricing of Verizon HIPC and dedicated hosted solutions (based on Avaya or Microsoft
infrastructure, for example) depends on the specific solution design, as these
implementations typically involve custom engineering. Verizon’s other hosted IP telephony
solutions are offered at standard pricing ranges and varying discounts based on volume
and other factors.

Verizon One Talk only includes the most essential set of business telephony, voice
messaging and basic video calling functionality in the standard package, rather than
attempting to deliver every application in the unified communications stack. An all-
inclusive bundle with just a few a-la-carte features enables effortless purchasing and
provisioning. Priced at $25 per user per month, Verizon One Talk is a compelling solution
for mobile professionals.
Verizon offers two types of VCE feature bundles based on two user types as follows:
• Standard User provides basic telephony features such as voicemail, call forwarding,
3-way calling, caller ID, etc., plus access to a Web-based interface for additional
enhanced features such as scheduled call forwarding and Call Blast (an incoming
call rings a number of devices simultaneously, also known as “simultaneous
ring). Standard user bundles also require purchase of sufficient trunks to support
the expected call volume. A Standard User seat is priced at $13 per user per
month (excluding calling minutes).
• Premier User provides all the capabilities of Standard User, plus: a Mobile client ,
tablet client and a Softphone client. In addition, instant messaging enables
Premier Users to chat with other Premier Users, see the status of other Premier
Users (i.e., Busy, Available, On a call, In a meeting), or share what is displayed on
their desktop through a web browser. Premier Users also have a dedicated instant
meeting audio conferencing bridge, as well as the ability to do video conferencing
via the clients. A Premier User seat is priced at $35 per user per month (including
unlimited local and domestic long distance calling minutes).
Both options are available with bundled phones with a minimum three-year commitment.
Verizon UCCaaS is available with a similar pricing structure with bundles designed to fit
the following user profiles:
• Essential (call control)
• Caller (Essential + presence/IM (Jabber) with telephony integration (includes
Expressway)
• Information Worker (Caller + voicemail)
• Knowledge Worker (Information Worker + one more endpoint)
• Power User (full feature set)
UCCaaS prices and discounts vary based on customer size and features deployed. User
seats can be priced as low as $7 per user per month (Essential User) or $15 per user per
month (Power User), excluding calling minutes. In the mid-to-large enterprise customer
segment, roll-out plans and number of locations are key factors impacting price. In

addition, in a large user-group contract, HCS is typically part of a total solution including
network connectivity and voice services. Public sector customers can take advantage of an
additional 15 percent discount on user seat prices.
Overall, Verizon services prices compare favorably to competitor offerings and provide a
range of options to adopting customers.
Customer Purchase Experience
Verizon provides convenient purchase options for its hosted IP telephony and UCaaS
solutions. HIPC is primarily marketed and sold through Verizon direct sales staff as it
requires a certain degree of customization and involvement of an expert sales
engineer/architect. The approach enables Verizon to retain full ownership of HIPC
deployments and ensure greater service quality.
VCE, on the other hand, was designed as a plug-and-play solution that enables more
efficient sales and provisioning. It is marketed by phone and online channels as well as
Verizon’s large channel partner network. The majority of VCE resellers are traditional
telecom value-added resellers (VARs) and agents with considerable expertise in managing
voice services and deliver additional value to businesses deploying Verizon solutions.
Verizon UCCaaS is a more complex solution and is therefore marketed primarily through
Verizon’s direct salesforce. Typically, UCCaaS implementations involve customization and
integration with other customer technologies and solutions, which requires the
involvement of a qualified Verizon sales person and engineer. Also, because of the more
comprehensive portfolio of Cisco solutions marketed along with HCS, including Cisco
Jabber and WebEx, Verizon UCCaaS requires a more consultative approach whereby
qualified sales agents take into consideration prospective customers’ business objectives
and specific technology preferences. UC specialists, emerging technology consultants, and
product design and implementation experts typically take part in UCCaaS sales and
implementation.
Verizon UCCaaS services are available in Europe and Asia-Pacific, and the provider is in
the process of extending its services through partners. It has made significant
investments in back-end systems and processes to enable efficient ordering, quotes, and
provisioning in different currencies and contracting models in various regions of the world.
Verizon Customer Success and Adoption Services deliver considerable value to more
complex hosted IP telephony and UCaaS deployments. Established in June 2016, the
Customer Success and Adoption Services team provides user education and training
services as well as usage analytics to ensure broader service adoption and more effective
utilization throughout the customer organization. These value-added services are currently
delivered free of charge and have been very well received by businesses adopting Verizon
hosted IP telephony and UCaaS solutions.

Provided by Verizon Wireless and tailored for entrepreneurs and small businesses, Verizon
One Talk is marketed as a low touch solution, which is distinct from all other Verizon
hosted IP telephony solutions. Unlike competitors looking to enable mobile device support
as an add-on to their hosted solution deployments, Verizon is positioning One Talk as
means of bringing a layer of important business telephony features to existing mobile
devices.
As a service offered by Verizon Wireless, rather than its large customer-focused Enterprise
Solutions division, small businesses can get information and subscribe to One Talk at
Verizon retail outlets. Through high visibility in its 1,600 retail stores, Verizon has the
opportunity to present One Talk to customers in a new and unique way that is difficult for
competitors to replicate. Beyond retail, small businesses can also work with one of
Verizon’s 1,800 business-to-business (B2B) sales representatives, visit one of more than
300 SMB-focused stores, or contact any of Verizon’s 2,400 channel agents.
Beyond Verizon’s own devices, the One Talk mobile app extends support to other Android
and iOS mobile devices. Users can access One Talk on Verizon’s network, competitor
wireless networks or WiFi, on their own device, with dual personas (personal and
business) on BYO devices. At a billing level, One Talk user subscriptions are treated nearly
the same as wireless subscribers. One Talk numbers are assigned from a Verizon Wireless
number pool, making it easier to migrate to a mobile-only option if a customer needs a
change. Additionally, Verizon merges One Talk users and wireless lines onto a single bill.
Not only does this make it convenient for customers, it can also raise small businesses
into a higher-level account plan that provides better corporate discounts.
For new customers, the three-step purchase process is a similar experience to ordering
wireless service. First, Verizon works with the customer to define an overall corporate plan
based on the total number of lines. Next, customers choose what devices (smartphones,
desk phones, or a combination of both) will be assigned to each user. Finally, optional
features such as auto attendants and hunt groups are applied. Existing Verizon Wireless
customers can simply add One Talk to their current corporate plan, purchase desk phones,
if needed, and quickly be off and running. In this way, One Talk is a departure from how
many hosted UC services are offered to the market today.
Brand Equity
Verizon is truly a household brand in North America. With a long track record in delivering
a diverse portfolio of feature-rich, reliable and secure communications solutions to both
residential and business customers, Verizon has gained a leading mindshare among
investment decision makers. Verizon’s strong brand enables the provider to more easily
secure a spot on customers’ hosted IP telephony and UCaaS evaluation lists and often
impacts final purchasing decisions.

Conclusion
With One Talk, VCE, HIPC, and UCCaaS, Verizon addresses the needs of very small to very
large organizations. It can deliver a cost-effective package for those looking for only basic
functionality as well as a feature-rich UCaaS solution for businesses where
communications are mission-critical. Also important, Verizon can cost-effectively bundle
hosted solutions with its MPLS, broadband or SIP trunking services to ensure superior
service quality and reliability.
With its strong overall performance, Verizon has earned Frost & Sullivan’s 2017 Product
Line Strategy Award.

Significance of Product Line Strategy
Ultimately, growth in any organization depends upon customers purchasing from a
company and then making the decision to return time and again. A full, comprehensive
product line that addresses numerous customer needs and preferences is, therefore, a
critical ingredient to any company’s long-term retention efforts. To achieve these dual
goals (customer value and product line strength), an organization must be best-in-class in
three key areas: understanding demand, nurturing the brand, and differentiating from the
competition.
Understanding Product Line Strategy Leadership
As discussed above, driving demand, strengthening brand, and differentiating from the
competition all play a critical role in delivering unique value to customers. This three-fold
focus, however, must ideally be complemented by an equally rigorous focus on building a
superior and comprehensive product line.

Key Benchmarking Criteria
For the Product Line Strategy Leadership Award, Frost & Sullivan analysts independently
evaluated two key factors—Product Line Strength and Customer Impact—according to the
criteria identified below.
Product Line Strength
Criterion 1: Breadth
Criterion 2: Scalability
Criterion 3: Technology Leverage
Criterion 4: Features
Criterion 5: Supply Chain Reliability
Customer Impact
Criterion 1: Price/Performance Value
Criterion 2: Customer Purchase Experience
Criterion 3: Customer Ownership Experience
Criterion 4: Customer Service Experience
Criterion 5: Brand Equity
Best Practices Award Analysis for Verizon
Decision Support Scorecard
To support its evaluation of best practices across multiple business performance
categories, Frost & Sullivan employs a customized Decision Support Scorecard. This tool
allows our research and consulting teams to objectively analyze performance, according to
the key benchmarking criteria listed in the previous section, and to assign ratings on that
basis. The tool follows a 10-point scale that allows for nuances in performance evaluation.
Ratings guidelines are illustrated below.
RATINGS GUIDELINES
The Decision Support Scorecard is organized by Product Line Strength and Customer
Impact (i.e., These are the overarching categories for all 10 benchmarking criteria; the
definitions for each criterion are provided beneath the scorecard.). The research team
confirms the veracity of this weighted scorecard through sensitivity analysis, which
confirms that small changes to the ratings for a specific criterion do not lead to a
significant change in the overall relative rankings of the companies.

The results of this analysis are shown below. To remain unbiased and to protect the
interests of all organizations reviewed, we have chosen to refer to the other key
participants as Competitor 2 and Competitor 3.
Measurement of 1–10 (1 = poor; 10 = excellent)
Product Line Strategy
Product Line
Strength
Customer
Impact Average Rating
Verizon 9.9 9.7 9.8
Competitor 2 9.9 9.3 9.6
Competitor 3 9.1 8.9 9.0
Criterion 1: Breadth
Requirement: Product line addresses the full range of customer needs and applications.
Criterion 2: Scalability
Requirement: Product line offers products at a variety of price points and functionality
levels.
Criterion 3: Technology Leverage
Requirement: Demonstrated commitment to incorporating leading-edge technologies into
product offerings results in greater product performance and value.
Criterion 4: Features
Requirement: Products offer a comprehensive suite of features to serve customers at
multiple levels of functionality, ease of use, and applications.
Criterion 5: Supply Chain Reliability
Requirement: There is sufficient control over the supply chain to ensure availability of key
components and thereby the availability of products in the product line.
Customer Impact
Criterion 1: Price/Performance Value
Requirement: Products or services offer the best value for the price, compared to similar
offerings in the market.
Criterion 2: Customer Purchase Experience
Requirement: Customers feel they are buying the most optimal solution that addresses
both their unique needs and their unique constraints.
Criterion 3: Customer Ownership Experience
Requirement: Customers are proud to own the company’s product or service and have a
positive experience throughout the life of the product or service.
Criterion 4: Customer Service Experience
Requirement: Customer service is accessible, fast, stress-free, and of high quality.

Criterion 5: Brand Equity
Requirement: Customers have a positive view of the brand and exhibit high brand loyalty.
Decision Support Matrix
Once all companies have been evaluated according to the Decision Support Scorecard,
analysts then position the candidates on the matrix shown below, enabling them to
visualize which companies are truly breakthrough and which ones are not yet operating at
best-in-class levels.
High
Low
Low High
CustomerImpact
Verizon
Competitor 2
Competitor 3

Best Practices Recognition: 10 Steps to Researching,
Identifying, and Recognizing Best Practices
Frost & Sullivan analysts follow a 10-step process to evaluate Award candidates and
assess their fit with select best practice criteria. The reputation and integrity of the
Awards are based on close adherence to this process.
STEP OBJECTIVE KEY ACTIVITIES OUTPUT
1
Monitor,
target, and
screen
Identify Award recipient
candidates from around the
globe
• Conduct in-depth industry
research
• Identify emerging sectors
• Scan multiple geographies
Pipeline of candidates who
potentially meet all best-
practice criteria
2
Perform
360-degree
research
Perform comprehensive,
360-degree research on all
candidates in the pipeline
• Interview thought leaders
and industry practitioners
• Assess candidates’ fit with
best-practice criteria
• Rank all candidates
Matrix positioning of all
candidates’ performance
relative to one another
3
Invite
thought
leadership in
best
practices
Perform in-depth
examination of all candidates
• Confirm best-practice criteria
• Examine eligibility of all
candidates
• Identify any information gaps
Detailed profiles of all
ranked candidates
4
Initiate
research
director
review
Conduct an unbiased
evaluation of all candidate
profiles
• Brainstorm ranking options
• Invite multiple perspectives
on candidates’ performance
• Update candidate profiles
Final prioritization of all
eligible candidates and
companion best-practice
positioning paper
5
Assemble
panel of
industry
experts
Present findings to an expert
panel of industry thought
leaders
• Share findings
• Strengthen cases for
candidate eligibility
• Prioritize candidates
Refined list of prioritized
Award candidates
6
Conduct
global
industry
review
Build consensus on Award
candidates’ eligibility
• Hold global team meeting to
review all candidates
• Pressure-test fit with criteria
• Confirm inclusion of all
eligible candidates
Final list of eligible Award
candidates, representing
success stories worldwide
7
Perform
quality check
Develop official Award
consideration materials
• Perform final performance
benchmarking activities
• Write nominations
• Perform quality review
High-quality, accurate, and
creative presentation of
nominees’ successes
8
Reconnect
with panel of
industry
experts
Finalize the selection of the
best-practice Award recipient
• Review analysis with panel
• Build consensus
• Select recipient
Decision on which company
performs best against all
best-practice criteria
9
Communicate
recognition
Inform Award recipient of
Award recognition
• Present Award to the CEO
• Inspire the organization for
continued success
• Celebrate the recipient’s
performance
Announcement of Award
and plan for how recipient
can use the Award to
enhance the brand
10
Take
strategic
action
Upon licensing, company is
able to share Award news
with stakeholders and
customers
• Coordinate media outreach
• Design a marketing plan
• Assess Award’s role in future
strategic planning
Widespread awareness of
recipient’s Award status
among investors, media
personnel, and employees

The Intersection between 360-Degree Research and Best
Practices Awards
Research Methodology
Frost & Sullivan’s 360-degree research
methodology represents the analytical
rigor of our research process. It offers a
360-degree-view of industry challenges,
trends, and issues by integrating all 7 of
Frost & Sullivan's research methodologies.
Too often companies make important
growth decisions based on a narrow
understanding of their environment,
leading to errors of both omission and
commission. Successful growth strategies
are founded on a thorough understanding
of market, technical, economic, financial,
customer, best practices, and demographic
analyses. The integration of these research
disciplines into the 360-degree research
methodology provides an evaluation
platform for benchmarking industry
participants and for identifying those performing at best-in-class levels.
About Frost & Sullivan
Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, enables clients to accelerate growth
and achieve best-in-class positions in growth, innovation and leadership. The company's
Growth Partnership Service provides the CEO and the CEO's Growth Team with disciplined
research and best practice models to drive the generation, evaluation, and implementation
of powerful growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan leverages more than 50 years of
experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging, businesses and the
investment community from 45 offices on six continents. To join our Growth Partnership,
please visit http://www.frost.com.
360-DEGREE RESEARCH: SEEING ORDER IN
THE CHAOS

Verizon Hosted IP Telephony and UCaaS Award Write Up

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