Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ)
- GlobeNewswire
Verizon Named Official 5G Partner of the National Hockey League
Multi-year agreement names Verizon the Official Wireless Services Partner of the NHL in the U.S. Verizon will bring 5G & MEC innovation to U.S. NHL arenas and NHL fansBASKING RIDGE, N.J. and NEW YORK, Sept. 25, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Verizon and the National Hockey League (NHL®) are bringing the power of 5G to center ice with an exclusive, multi-year deal that will make Verizon the League’s Official 5G Partner, Official Wireless Services Partner and Official Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) Partner in the U.S. Verizon also becomes an Official Technology Partner for the League. Additionally, as a Season-Long Fantasy Partner of the NHL, Yahoo Sports will have the opportunity to offer game highlights and other official NHL-produced content to its fantasy players. Yahoo Sports will also receive an Official Sports Betting Partner designation and associated promotional rights for use in connection with its strategic partnership with BetMGM.With the focus of the partnership on 5G, Verizon will have opportunities to work with arena operators to install Verizon 5G in select U.S. NHL arenas and to offer consumer demonstrations of this cutting-edge technology at NHL events. Verizon will also pilot the development of a MEC use case for in-venue applications which could include real-time access to video highlights enabled by Verizon 5G technology.“5G Ultra Wideband opens up new opportunities for sports fans and now especially NHL fans to interact with their favorite teams and players, giving them the ability to watch the game from multiple angles, as well as get stats and fantasy scores on players through immersive fan experiences,” said John Nitti, Chief Media Officer, Verizon. “Through our partnership with the NHL, we’re looking forward to highlighting solutions that enhance the fan experience and working together to build the next generation of hockey fandom no matter where you are.” “The NHL is excited to partner with Verizon to build the future of the NHL fan experience on a Verizon 5G infrastructure in NHL arenas, at NHL events and at home throughout the United States,” said Dave Lehanski, NHL Executive Vice President, Business Development and Innovation. “Together, the NHL and Verizon will leverage the capabilities of Verizon 5G and Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) to provide fans with access to entirely new experiences and ways to consume live game content, including leveraging the output of our puck and player tracking system, all in ‘true’ real time. Being on the forefront of innovation is great for our game and especially our fans – and these types of advancements are only possible with best-in-class partners like Verizon.” This partnership with the NHL, a recognized leader in technology innovation throughout all of sports, is the latest proof point in Verizon’s use of 5G to help shape the future of sports and entertainment.Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) was formed on June 30, 2000 and is celebrating its 20th year as one of the world’s leading providers of technology, communications, information and entertainment products and services. Headquartered in New York City and with a presence around the world, Verizon generated revenues of $131.9 billion in 2019. The company offers data, video and voice services and solutions on its award-winning networks and platforms, delivering on customers’ demand for mobility, reliable network connectivity, security and control.The National Hockey League (NHL®), founded in 1917, consists of 31 Member Clubs and proudly welcomes its 32nd franchise, the Seattle Kraken™, for the 2021–2022 season. Each team roster reflects the League’s international makeup with players from more than 20 countries represented, all vying for the most cherished and historic trophy in professional sports—the Stanley Cup®. Gary Bettman has served the NHL as Commissioner since February 1, 1993 and has guided the world’s top professional hockey league to more than $5 billion in annual revenues and partnerships with more than 40 blue chip corporate sponsors. Every year, the NHL entertains more than 670 million fans in-arena and through its partners on national television and radio; more than 151 million followers—league, team, and player accounts combined—across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube; and more than 100 million fans online at NHL.com. The League broadcasts games in more than 160 countries and territories through its rightsholders including NBC/NBCSN and the NHL Network™ in the United States, Sportsnet and TVA in Canada, Viasat in the Nordic Region, Yandex in Russia, and CCTV and Tencent in China. The NHL reaches fans worldwide with games available online in every country, including via its live and on-demand streaming service NHL.TV™. Having entered the eSports world in 2018, the League hosts the NHL Gaming World Championship™ annually, and drew record digital streaming audiences during the 2019 campaign. Fans are engaged across the League’s digital assets on mobile devices via the free NHL® App, across nine social media platforms, on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio™, and on NHL.com, available in eight languages and featuring unprecedented access to player and team statistics as well as every regular-season and playoff game box score dating back to the League’s inception, powered by SAP. The NHL is committed to building healthy and vibrant communities through the sport of hockey by increasing youth participation and engagement; fostering positive family experiences; promoting inclusion, positive culture, and leadership; and supporting sustainable community impact.VERIZON’S ONLINE MEDIA CENTER: News releases, stories, media contacts and other resources are available at https://www.verizon.com/about/media-center. News releases are also available through an RSS feed. To subscribe, visit www.verizon.com/about/rss-feeds/.Media contact: Emily Vicker Verizon emily.vicker@verizon.comBrad Klein NHL Communications bklein@nhl.com
- GlobeNewswire
BlueJeans Streamlines Back-to-Office Planning with Cloud Video Interop for Microsoft Teams
New Features Along with Self-Service Deployment Will Fuel Exponential Gateway Growth and ContinuityBASKING RIDGE, N.J., Sept. 24, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today BlueJeans by Verizon unveiled new features and upgrades for the next generation of the Microsoft-certified BlueJeans Gateway for Microsoft Teams (BlueJeans Gateway). With increased support for today’s hybrid workforce, the latest updates to the BlueJeans Gateway are designed to help organizations plan back-to-office strategies with minimal IT investment and without disrupting the workflow patterns users have grown to appreciate while working from home. These product updates are consistent with a recent report from Verizon Business in conjunction with Harvard Business Review Analytic Services, which found that 86 percent of global companies surveyed believe the digital workplace will coexist with the physical workspace post COVID-19. As organizations begin planning the transition back-to-office for some of their workforce, the simplicity and ease-of-deployment of the BlueJeans Gateway for Microsoft Teams helps ensure that employees have the same unified Teams meeting experience while safely dispersed -- working from home, remotely, or in the office.The latest updates include: * Large Event Support: Organizations can now use their existing standards-based room systems to join Teams Live Events. * Localized Interactive Voice Response (IVR): The BlueJeans Gateway now uses the location of the call to automatically serve up appropriate in-language content for Japanese, German, Italian, Spanish, and French-speaking regions. * 7x7 Gallery View: In-room participants will be able to see up to 49 attendees on the VTC monitor at one time. Additionally, the BlueJeans Gateway will support Microsoft's Together mode in Teams, which places participants together on a shared virtual background to replicate the feeling of being in the same physical space. * Enhanced Management: Improved analytics in Command Center for Teams Meetings and Teams Live Events, as well as infrastructure upgrades to enhance call quality and resiliency for Teams Gateway users, will provide better admin and moderator support. * Improved Visibility: The BlueJeans Gateway will present in-room attendees with clear notifications when meeting recording and transcription are enabled. * Simplified Deployment: Microsoft 365 admins can now visit the BlueJeans Gateway eCommerce store to procure their license and deploy the solution in 4 easy steps—entirely online.The BlueJeans Gateway for Microsoft Teams has been deployed globally to more than 400 organizations, including AECOM, JLG Architects, Pernod Ricard, Fives Group, and Telit. For organizations using Teams and who plan to return to the office, the BlueJeans Gateway provides the ability to use existing conference room systems to join Teams quickly while minimizing the need for additional IT resources.“When we decided to roll out Microsoft Teams across our organization, the last thing we wanted was to rip and replace our existing conference rooms systems,” said Antonio Eguizabal, Head of Core Services Delivery at Pernod Ricard. “The BlueJeans Gateway for Microsoft Teams enabled us to not only optimize the ROI on our existing hardware, but it allowed us to accelerate our Teams rollout so our teams can book conference rooms and join Teams meetings with a single touch. Considering not all of our employees will be in the office at the same time, this will ensure our teams are able to enjoy the same easy-to-join Meetings experience regardless of their device, room or location.”Ira M. Weinstein, founder and managing partner, Recon Research, added, “Providing multiple touchpoints for user collaboration is at the heart of digital transformation. Today’s distributed workforce has to be productive and efficient, regardless of each worker’s location, role or access method. The BlueJeans Gateway for Microsoft Teams is easy to test, easy to deploy, and easy to use. This combination of benefits makes Teams meetings easily accessible to mobile, desktop, and conference room users.Resources: * 7x7 Gallery View with Together mode and the Enhanced Management features are scheduled to be released later this year. For more information on updates and availability, visit bluejeans.com/products/integrations/microsoft-gateway * To learn more about the BlueJeans Gateway for Microsoft Teams, take a Gateway Test Drive or download your free trial of BlueJeans Gateway today. * Here are the links to the recent Verizon Business report in conjunction with Harvard Business Review Analytic Services and the Webinar. For more information, visit www.bluejeans.com.Media Contacts: Erin Cheever echeever@bluejeans.com Lauren Schulz lauren.schulz@verizon.com
- Motley Fool
Better Buy: Verizon Communications vs. Coca-Cola
Verizon (NYSE: VZ) and Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) are both generally considered stable dividend stocks. Verizon's core wireless business, which generates most of its revenue, struggled with sluggish sales of smartphones and fierce competition from rival carriers last year. Verizon faced similar challenges in the first half of 2020, but the COVID-19 crisis exacerbated that pain by shutting down retailers and throttling the growth of its smaller Verizon Media advertising business, which mainly houses the remnants of AOL and Yahoo's internet assets.
