Verio today announced the NTT/VERIO transition program to assist businesses with network access and Web hosting services affected by current market uncertainty. The program, available immediately, is designed to provide dedicated migration services to business customers who need reliable, world-class IP network access and Web site hosting supported by stringent service levels, with the added assurance of financial stability and long-term viability of their service provider.

As a wholly-owned subsidiary of NTT Communications Corporation (NTT Com) and part of the NTT family, Verio is backed by the resources and commitment of the world’s largest telecommunications company. In addition, the depth and breadth of NTT/VERIO global service offerings ensures that customers can select from a portfolio of award-winning IP (Internet Protocol) products and services to best meet their business needs.

Network access customers who migrate to NTT/VERIO solutions will find a full-service program designed to help ensure that they experience minimal disruption to their business and to have service established quickly and easily. An expert NTT/VERIO IP Migration Team provides businesses with a specially-designated resource to work hand in hand with companies that wish to transition. The team includes a sales engineer who works with the business to help keep critical applications functional throughout the process; an installation coordinator to oversee the provisioning and installation process; and a sales manager to ensure a single point of contact for the customer and who can deploy additional resources to meet any special customer requirements.

Businesses who take advantage of this transition program by Sept. 30, 2002 will receive their first month of IP access free to prevent companies from paying redundant connection costs during the transition period, or the free use of a router for the entire term of their contract, with some restrictions. IP installation and setup is also included at no cost.

“We formalized these transition services after receiving numerous inquiries from businesses about how we could help them during this uncertain period in the market,” said Michael Stewart, president of Verio’s Broadband Services business unit, which delivers network access. “Although these companies expressed interest in taking advantage of our financially stable position and our global Tier One backbone, they also wanted to ensure we could minimize disruption and help them reduce redundant costs during the transition. These program initiatives will assist them in this process.”

“Financial stability and long-term viability are increasingly important to companies," noted research firm IDC's Steve Harris, an analyst in the Business Network Services group there. “Providers who can offer customers stringent service levels, flexible products and services, and long-term viability have a distinct advantage, and those providers with these characteristics are certainly well-positioned.”

Mid-sized to enterprise companies experiencing uncertainty about their current hosting provider will benefit from the site migration program offering. The service, intended to provide a seamless transition, utilizes a uniquely-designed methodology framework to ensure timely, successful Web site migrations, whether basic or complex. The NTT/VERIO service builds on Verio’s experience dealing with the intricate and often painstaking details involved in the migration process.

For those business customers who choose to transition to NTT/VERIO managed hosting or colocation services by Oct. 31, Verio will apply twice their monthly service fee toward the site migration cost and related professional services ¾ up to $20,000 ¾ with some conditions.

"With the current market situation and continued industry consolidation, service providers must meet customers’ higher credibility thresholds," said Melanie Posey, an analyst with IDC. "Financial stability is an important criterion, and in this respect Verio is well positioned, given the backing of NTT.”

“NTT Communications and Verio offer businesses a safe haven in the midst of industry tumult,” said Isabel Ehringer, Verio’s president for Enterprise Hosting. “Customers take comfort in the fact that we have a strong track record in the business, a commitment to customer service, and a strong base of customers, partners and operations worldwide. By drawing on our expertise in helping other enterprise companies migrate their site operations, we can assist those businesses that may be having doubt about their provider. For these companies, NTT/VERIO offerings solve the migration issue as well as provide a permanent, long-term solution.”

Both network access and hosting customers benefit from the award-winning NTT/VERIO Global IP Network to ensure the speed, reliability and performance needed for their data transit needs. Redundant carriers on the NTT/VERIO Tier One backbone and a system uniquely engineered to carry only IP traffic means consistent service delivery to customers, backed by one of the most aggressive service level agreements (SLA) in the industry (http://slainfo.verio.net).

More information on the NTT/VERIO transition program can be found at (www.verio.com/stability) or by calling 1-800-GET-VERIO.

About Verio
Verio Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of NTT Communications (NTT Com), which provides long distance and international telecommunications reaching over 200 countries worldwide. Verio is the world's largest operator of Web sites for businesses and a leading provider of global IP solutions. NTT Com and Verio market their global IP solutions under the NTT/VERIO brand. The company offers businesses a broad range of Internet services, including Web hosting, dedicated access, virtual private networks, and managed service offerings, among other enhanced services. Verio supports its operations with highly reliable and scalable global infrastructure and systems including the NTT/VERIO Global IP Network, and provides Web hosting services to customers in more than 170 countries. The combination of Verio and NTT Com offers services to meet the growing and diverse needs of all businesses, including small to medium businesses, large global enterprises and multi-national corporations. More information can be found at www.verio.com and www.ntt.com/index-e.html