(WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) — Telecommunications provider Verizon (www.verizon.com) announced on Friday it has redesigned its web portal for small businesses, Verizon Small Business Center (www.business.verizon.net), to include new online collaboration tools, advanced Web-based business software applications, and interactive professional networking.
Last month, Verizon Business was awarded a contract to provide network and data services to the US Department of Defense at military installations and other government sites around the world.
“Small businesses need a lot more than email and Internet access to be competitive, especially in today’s challenging economy,” says Monte Beck, Verizon’s vice president for small-business products and services. “We built the Verizon Small Business Center to offer small businesses leading-edge technology tools and business resources to assist them in becoming more agile, productive and efficient – all appropriately scaled for the needs and budget requirements of a small business, and all conveniently integrated on a single Web portal.
The hosted service is available from any device with Internet access, with no need for in-house IT support. A Verizon Collaboration Center user pack for one to five employees is priced at $24.99 per month, with other discounted rates available when more users are added.
The web portal offers new features, such as professional networking, which enables registered users who create a profile to exchange ideas with others in their industry, build relationships and improve their online networking presence in the community.
The Verizon Solution Recommender helps business owners navigate Verizon’s other business products and services. Verizon’s SMB customers can also gain access to discounted FedEx shipping rates and credit card processing services through the site’s Alliance Discount Program.
The portal offers website users a set of questions that they can answer to help them gauge what products and services are needed to start, grow or improve their business.
Users can also purchase value-added services, such as the Verizon Internet Security Suite, wireless phones and calling plans, wireline phone plans and high-speed Internet service.
The expanded ” My News & Resources ” section highlights business news from The New York Times that is relevant to small businesses, and provides expert advice from AllBusiness.com and influential technology, government, regulatory and small-business bloggers. Users can personalize this page by choosing from among more than a dozen content categories to best suit users’ interests and needs.
Over the next few months, the Verizon Small Business Center will also offer free webinars every other week.
The first webinar being held April 21 with Shankar Iyer, senior director of business communities for Cisco Systems, who will discuss how small businesses can maximize the use of new technology to accelerate business processes to lead to cost cuts and greater efficiencies.
