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Switched Voice Service Outbound

Overview

Consider the Federal Government's current communications environment - different vendors and networks, disparate products and services, multiple contracts and contacts... in a word: complex! Imagine what it would be like if you could have:

  • Seamless local-to-global-to-local communications
  • A single point-of-contact for all service-related questions, issues, and requests
  • One of the industry's most extensive portfolio of integrated products and services, like ATM, Frame Relay Service and Verizon ConferencingSM

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Benefits

When you choose Verizon Long Distance as your outbound service, you receive the following benefits:

  • Seamless network. Seamless local-to-global-to-local network communications eliminate geographic barriers to conducting business.
  • Extensive product integration. Extensive product integration simplifies and streamlines your communications.
  • Innovative pricing. Government supported and defined pricing structure allows you to focus on solutions, not expenses.
  • Cost savings. Our pricing strategy for integrated services can help reduce your overall communications costs.
  • Consolidated invoicing. Not only do our integrated products work together; many can be billed together.
  • One-stop shopping. Let Verizon Business provide a total telecommunications solution, including design, installation, maintenance, and network management.

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Features

Combined Feature Package
Our combined feature package offers a bundled solution that can help government organizations control calling patterns, track departmental calling expenses, establish a local calling presence and reach critical departments more quickly. The following features are included in the combined feature package:

  • Directory Assistance
  • Operator Services
  • Accounting Codes
  • Invoice Options
  • Access Options
  • Calling Range Privileges (Customized and Universal)
  • 10/15-Digit Restrictions
  • Private Dialing Plans
  • Toll Free Remote Access

Directory Assistance
If you have a benefits department or loan guarantee department, accurate Directory Assistance is a necessity. Verizon Business provides Directory Assistance at 1-NPA-555-1212 (NPA is the Numbering Plan Area or area code). Callers are routed directly to Verizon Operators, or in some cases to the terminating local Regional Bell Operating Company's live operators. Directory Assistance provides the most accurate listings available.

Operator Services
Government organizations will also be able to receive personal service from Verizon Business agents. Operator assistance can be used to make the following types of calls:

  • Station-to-station
  • Station-to-station collect
  • Person-to-person
  • Person-to-person collect
  • Third-party billed

In addition to placing calls, Verizon Operators can also help your employees complete calls and connect them to Customer Service.

Accounting Codes
Government organizations can use Accounting Codes to make cost management simple. With Accounting Codes in place, employees tend to make fewer and shorter non-business calls because calls can be tracked on a management report by individual, department, and project. As a result, telecommunications costs can be reduced, and employee productivity can improve.

If you use Accounting Codes, users will be prompted for a code after dialing the phone number. Your employees must enter a code to complete the call. At your option, Accounting Codes (1-11 digits) can be used from specified Dedicated Access line groups, Dial "1" ANIs, or Toll Free Remote Access numbers. While the code itself is not verified, the number of digits entered must match the pre-selected number.

Invoice Options
Verizon Long Distance offers government organizations a choice of (customized) invoice options, Centralized Billing (billed to GSA) or Direct Billing (billed directly to agencies). For both types of billing, Verizon Business can provide Consolidated or Location Level Billing. Consolidated Billing provides centralized invoicing for all locations and Local Level Billing provides separate invoicing for multiple locations.

Choice of Access Types
As part of our on-net voice offering, Long Distance offers a choice of two access/egress types:

  • Switched. Government organizations may choose switched access, which originates and/or terminates on independent local exchange carrier (other than Verizon) owned and operated facilities. This is referred to as Virtual on-net or VON.
  • Dedicated. Government organizations may choose dedicated access, which originates and/or terminates on dedicated access facilities provisioned to the government organization's site by Verizon Business or by the Local Exchange Carrier on Verizon Business' behalf. This also includes government-provided access.

Calling Range Privileges
Calling Range Privileges enable government organizations to control long distance costs and deter employee call misuse by restricting calling to specific geographic areas. With such tailoring, many non-work-related calls are eliminated. That can reduce your overall telecommunications costs and can increase productivity.
Customers can specify a calling range privilege for each of the following:

  • Dedicated Access Line group
  • Dial-1 switched or local network ANI
  • Calling Card
  • Verified Accounting/ID Codes

The two types of range privileges are Universal and Customized.

Universal Range Privileges
There are five Universal Range Privilege levels:

  • Range 0: local calls (no long distance)
  • Range 1: private dialing plan numbers
  • Range 2: private dialing plan + long distance in all 50 U.S. states
  • Range 3: private dialing plan + long distance + international
  • Range 4: private dialing plan + long distance + North American Numbering Plan (NANP) locations

Note: Universal Calling Range Privilege 0 permits the following types of calls: operator assisted, 700, 800, 900. A range privilege of 0 at a location cannot be overridden by the Calling Range Privilege of a Verified Accounting/Personal ID Code.

Customized Calling Range Privileges
Customized Calling Range Privileges offer government organizations an even greater level of control. You can define ranges for each DAL group, ANI, Verified Accounting/ID Code, or Calling Card. In addition, you can establish ranges based on states, NPA, NPA/NXX, and country codes. You may define up to 255 custom ranges and assign them as needed. For example, if an employee should be calling only within a particular state, you can set a Customized Range Privilege to restrict that person's calls to only that state. As you can see, you can customize your calling ranges to exactly fit your needs.

10/15-Digit Restrictions
This feature is a more specific calling Range Privilege than Universal or Custom Range Privileges. It helps control non-work-related calls by allowing government organizations to block calls to specific 15-digit numbers, or ranges of 15-digit numbers such as:

  • Single Number: 212-555-1212
  • NPA-NXXs: 212-555-0000 through 9999

Unauthorized numbers often include:

  • Restricted numbers such as Directory Assistance
  • Excessive personal calls

10/15-Digit Restriction is not location-specific. All callers from outbound locations will be unable to reach blocked numbers, regardless of Calling Range Privileges. 10/15-Digit Exclusion provides the ability to block a particular international direct dialed number.

10-Digit Dialing Plans
In the FTS2001 Bridge contract, Verizon Business provides a 10 digit dial plan that follows the North America Numbering Plan (NANP). If a government organization does not want to change phone directories or re-train employees on a new dialing pattern, or if you want to use longer vanity numbers, 10-digit private dialing plans are the right choice. This option can preserve normal dialing patterns. It emulates all of your organization's direct dial phone numbers by emulating the North American Numbering Plan.

Variable Length Dialing Plans
Variable Length Private Dialing Plans are currently available from DAL (Dedicated Access Line) access and Toll Free Remote Access only, and allow government organizations to define dial plans of variable lengths. You can select a dialing plan between 1-15 digits. This feature gives you greater flexibility in defining dial plans for your own needs. For example, this feature allows you to define dial plan formats that line up with a particular country, such as an 8-digit private dial plan for Japan locations, a 15-digit plan for Germany, and a 10-digit plan for the U.S.

Toll Free Remote Access
Toll Free Remote Access reduces the potential for fraud or abuse by limiting callers to placing private dialing plan calls only. It also eliminates the need for employees to carry change for pay phones or to place collect calls. Toll Free Remote Access allows users to dial Private Dialing Plan numbers from anywhere in the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Toll Free Remote Access numbers are specific to your organization and can be used with Verified Accounting/ID Codes or Accounting Codes for easy charge-back and tracking.

Toll Free Remote Access is a great benefit for employees who travel and need to call the office. Those who will appreciate toll free remote access include:

  • Field technicians
  • Remote employees and telecommuters
  • Cellular phone users

A la Carte Features
A la Carte features allow government organizations to select from a menu of optional features for the more demanding communication needs. Long Distance a la carte features include:

  • Calling Station Identification (ANI)
  • Verizon Global Network Services
  • Instant/Virtual Ringdown
  • Remote Exchange/Virtual FX
  • Multiple Network IDs
  • Point of Origin Routing
  • Virtual Network Connection (VNC)
  • Customized Message Announcements
  • Verified Accounting/ID Codes
  • Network Call Redirect
  • Switched Digital Services (CSDS)

Calling Station Identification (ANI)
Calling Station Identification allows government sites with a PBX or Centrex system to easily identify the originating extension of each outbound call on a report, thereby improving cost allocation and control. Currently, many PBX customers use ID Codes to provide this analysis. Calling Station Identification can be an effective replacement for this practice, since employees would no longer be required to key in a code with each call made. Under Calling Station Identification, the invoice will reflect calling stations that are either 7 or 10 digits long.

Instant/Virtual Ringdown
Instant/Virtual Ringdown provides nearly immediate ring on the distant end of a call without dialing. When the caller goes "off-hook" (the handset is off-hook, the keyset has seized the line, or, from behind the PBX, the appropriate digits have been dialed to seize the line), the network dials a pre-stored number and the call is routed to its correct location. With Instant/Virtual Ringdown, you receive usage based pricing for the long haul instead of a fixed, monthly expense, plus you receive the flexibility of a virtual network-based transport instead of the single point of failure of traditional foreign exchange circuits.
Examples of ways that Instant/Virtual Ringdown is used:

  • Flight service inquiries: Military pilots access a "hotline" to the FAA to check flight conditions prior to take-off
  • Severe condition notification: Forest Rangers can connect instantly to the Ranger Station to report on current fire conditions
  • Interactive kiosk. A customer picks up the "hotline" and directly connects with a service representative

Remote Exchange/Virtual FX
Remote Exchange/Virtual FX is a convenient way for you to establish a local presence in a city other than where your department or agency is located. This feature allows you to establish a local phone number in a distant city for users to access your department or agency. Government organizations need not have a location in the distant area, and no special equipment is necessary. Remote Exchange/Virtual FX combines the capability of a fixed-cost private line with virtual network usage-sensitive rates.

Remote Exchange/Virtual FX includes a local circuit in the distant city where Long Distance calls originate and at the terminating city where the department or agency is located. Government organizations can opt for dedicated or switched termination. As in traditional incoming foreign exchange services, the Local Exchange Carrier bills local telephone numbers.

Multiple Network IDs
Multiple Network IDs allow government organizations to establish up to 98 independent Private Dialing Plan sub-networks under the umbrella of one corporate ID. With Multiple Network IDs, government departments and agencies can have their own Private Dialing Plan, yet share the benefit of combining all traffic volumes into a total Long Distance invoice.

Point of Origin Routing
Point of Origin Routing enables government organizations to override the DAL specified in the dialing plan based on the originating switch and the intended terminating switch. For example, if a government organization had two established Human Resources (HR) departments and then opened a third, you could use Point of Origin Routing to route calls from specified origins to the third HR center. This would give the third center a chance to become established. You could later modify or remove the Point of Origin Routing once the center was stabilized.

Virtual Network Connection (VNC)
VNC lets calls from our network in the U.S. terminate on virtual private networks in foreign countries. The power of VNC is that the bridge between the overseas carrier and Verizon On-Net Voice Services gives you competitive rates relative to IDDD and the overseas telecommunications company's virtual private network.

Government locations abroad must be enrolled with the VNC foreign carrier. You must also register your dialing plan with us and the overseas telecommunications company in which Verizon Business has an agreement, to benefit from VNC's lower costs.

Interconnections like VNC do not, in and of themselves, have any inherent features. But, your calls going abroad can benefit from features offered by the foreign carrier. And your inbound calls benefit from Verizon Business' features like Network Call Redirect.

Calls carried by VNC are included on your Verizon Business invoice. The foreign carrier still bills the government organization for calls it carries on the carrier's network.

Customized Message Announcements
Customized Message Announcements (CMA) deliver important information to your callers. Intercept CMA allows you to record a 30-second customized message, which is stored in our network and delivered when specific numbers are dialed during intercept conditions (for example, "The ID Code you have dialed is invalid."). Route to CMA allows you to record up to a three-minute message, which is stored in our network and accessed via a private dialing plan number. These messages can play agency announcements such as news lines or changed number notifications (examples include "Due to last night's snow storm, our office is closed today" and "The number you have dialed has been changed; the new number is... ").

Verified Accounting/ID Codes
Verified Accounting/ID Codes are digits entered after the phone number has been dialed giving government organizations the power to define calling areas at the level of the individual user. Verified Accounting/ID Codes offer the same management reporting benefits as Accounting Codes, but are verified in our intelligent network database to determine whether the caller has authorization to place the call.
Verified Accounting/ID Codes have the following characteristics:

  • Verified 1-11 digits
  • Ordered in blocks of 100
  • Universal or Customized Range Privileges can be assigned to each Verified Accounting/ID Code.
  • Can be used with switched or dedicated access
  • Can be location-specific or global
  • Can be placed on DAL groups or ANIs (all or selected) and can be collected on direct dial and/or private dialing plan calls. The collection options that you can select from are the same as those offered with Accounting Codes.

Network Call Redirect
Network Call Redirect reroutes calls to another location(s) in order to help ensure completion of the calls. For example, calls can be routed during outages, busy conditions, or when employees are not present to handle calls. Calls are redirected to a pre-defined alternate location such as network announcements and other government domestic or international locations. You have choices of why, where, and how to overflow calls based on trunk group, type of service (both inbound and outbound), or individual toll-free/on-net number. Network Call Redirect is charged based on a per-minute usage charge from the originating point of a call to the call's final terminating overflow location.
Network Call Redirect supports:

  • Overflow from any termination type to any other termination type.
  • The ability to overflow a single call 5 times.
  • Overflow will be initiated for all circuits busy, ring no answer, and dozens of pre-defined ISDN cause values.

Network Call Redirect works with both Verizon and LEC access facilities and can overflow to a domestic or international location.

Switched Digital Services (CSDS)
Switched Digital Services are a staple of Verizon's contemporary Virtual Network offering, providing government organizations with circuit-switched data speeds of up to 1.536 Mbps. These data services are integrated into Virtual Network product pricing and discount plans, and make use of Virtual Network features and dialing plans. Verizon Business offers Outbound Long Distance Switched Digital Services at the following transmission rates:

  • Switched 56 provides a 56 Kbps transmission rate and uses in-band and out-of-band signaling, which can be accessed through dedicated or dial-up lines.
  • Switched 64 provides a 64 Kbps transmission rate and is an ISDN-based service available with out-of-band signaling only.
  • H0 provides a 384 Kbps transmission rate and requires the use of ISDN.
  • H1 provides switched T-1 access with ISDN.
  • MRBS (Multi-Rate Bearer Service) provides government organizations with the advantages of ISDN standards to place a single call to the network with a parameter that requests the bandwidth.
  • Global Switched Digital Services support digital transmission in building blocks of 64 Kbps, with higher speeds available on a country by country basis.

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Access

With Verizon On-Net Voice Services, two types of access/egress are available:

Switched - traffic originates and/or terminates on independent local exchange carrier (other than Verizon) owned and operated facilities. Switched access can be analog (e.g., Common Business Line, Direct Inward Dialed, Direct Digit Dialed, Centrex, Foreign Exchange) or Digital (Basic Rate Interface, Switched Digital Access).

Dedicated - traffic originates and/or terminates on dedicated access facilities provisioned to the government organization's site by Verizon Business or by the Local Exchange Carrier, on Verizon Business' behalf. This also includes customer-provided access. Dedicated Access Lines come in several forms: Special Analog Access, Digital Access, and ISDN Primary Rate Interface.

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Customer Support

Verizon Customer Service for billing inquiries, invoicing issues, account establishment and other service related issues, provides support for all Verizon Business services and is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Just call us at 1-888-FTS-SVC1 (1-888-387-7821).

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Invoicing

Verizon On-Net Services support Centralized and Direct invoicing under the FTS2001 Bridge contract. Further customized, customers can opt for either Consolidated or Location Level Billing for its monthly billing cycle. For Long Distance and other on-net services, government organizations may select from the following:

Consolidated Invoicing: provides a centralized mailing of the invoice for all locations. This option was designed for government organizations that have a single location, have multiple locations and require centralized invoicing for all locations, or for those who want to pay with one check.

Location Level Billing: includes Location Level Invoicing and Location Level Reporting options. Location Invoicing provides organizations with the ability to receive invoices at multiple locations/departments, at up to nine locations. Location Reporting allows those same locations to receive location-specific summaries and call detail reports for review purposes, while a single payment is made from the centralized location.

Invoicing/Reporting Features
Invoicing features help track long distance calls more easily with Alphanumeric Translations and Pagebreaks.

  • Alphanumeric Translations. Alphanumeric Translations allow your government organization to easily identify which employee, project, or department placed which calls. In addition, it provides security for Calling Card codes, Verified Accounting/ID Codes, and Accounting Codes that appear on your invoices. And it eliminates the need for you to maintain a separate list of code translations. Currently, invoices display 1-11 digits of the Verified Accounting/ID Codes or Accounting Codes, and 7-10 digits of your Calling Card codes. Alphanumeric Translations allow you to replace the numeric digits with a text translation up to 25 characters long for each code. When you translate calling card codes into cardholder names, it becomes much easier to identify each cardholder's usage.
  • Pagebreak. Pagebreak makes call detail reports easier to read. Government organizations can specify a new page (a page break) for each Calling Card number, Verified Accounting/ID Code, or Accounting Code on the call detail reports. This enables your organization to bill back to individual departments more easily, with minimal cutting and pasting of information. It also allows for easy distribution of call detail pages to the appropriate employees or departments.

Invoice Media
Your organization may choose to receive invoice information on paper, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, or electronic billing.

Management Information Reports
In addition to the invoice package we send, you may choose from a variety of optional Management Information Reports. These reports can be ordered individually or in a custom designed package for any location in the customer defined hierarchy. Management Information Reports can provide high-level information, such as the summary of location charges (most popular), or detailed information, such as call detail reports.
Optional Invoice Reports include:

  • Summary of Charges by Service Location
  • Usage Summary
  • Summary of Location Charges
  • Usage Summary by Service Location
  • Service Level Billing Reports
  • Paper Call Detail

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