Ahlstrom Selects Verizon Business to Streamline and Manage Global Communications

Reading, U.k. (ots/PRNewswire) -

- Verizon Private IP Improves Resiliency and Supports Business
Growth

Ahlstrom -- a global leader in the development, manufacture and
marketing of high-performance, fiber-based materials -- has selected
Verizon Business to streamline and fully manage its worldwide
communications.

A fully managed Verizon Private IP solution will provide a secure,
high-speed network to connect 25 of Ahlstrom's key locations to
enable secure access to business-critical applications such as SAP
and e-mail, as well as supplying backup connections for additional
business resiliency.

Ahlstrom employs more than 6,500 people in more than 20 countries
on six continents. The company has expanded rapidly over recent
years, via both investment and acquisition, in support of its vision
of becoming the global source for fiber-based materials. This
aggressive growth curve had led to a proliferation of different
networks and systems around the globe, all of which needed to access
centrally hosted business-critical applications such as production
planning, supply-chain management and logistics tools to facilitate
the smooth running of business operations.

To support its ongoing growth, Ahlstrom decided to consolidate its
global network infrastructure with a single service provider. Quality
of service and network resilience were critical concerns, as was the
ability to prioritise traffic according to business needs. The
objective was to optimize performance across the network and minimize
any potential downtime.

In addition, Ahlstrom was keen to enhance its collaborative
capabilities both internally between its sales offices and production
facilities, and externally with key suppliers and customers. Finally,
by opting for a fully managed solution, Ahlstrom hoped to be able to
focus its attention on its own business goals, rather than on network
infrastructure.

The Verizon Business solution was chosen as the best fit for all
of Ahlstrom's requirements. "Both the Verizon Business proposition
and the team were right for us," said Markku Kuronen, Ahlstrom's IT
development manager. "The resilience offered by the Verizon Business
solution exactly matched our requirements, and the service levels and
pricing were excellent. What was especially pleasing was how flexible
the team was, and how well they listened, and responded to our
needs."

Kuronen continued: "We also found the migration experience
extremely and unexpectedly positive. We migrated each site during
working hours, but both users and the IT department agree that there
was minimal disruption to everyday operations."

Vesa Hamalainen, director of corporate information technology at
Ahlstrom, added: "As well as providing top-end performance, the total
cost of ownership of the Verizon Business solution, even with
migration cost included, will be less than that of the service it
replaced."

Pekka Inkinen, sales director, Verizon Business, said, "Ahlstrom
demands a lot from its network and needed a partner able to support
its current and future business objectives. Verizon Business' solid
experience in supporting multinational companies, coupled with our
broad product and service portfolio, enabled us to tailor the perfect
solution to support Ahlstrom's goals."

About Ahlstrom

Ahlstrom is a global leader in the development, manufacture and
marketing of high performance fiber-based materials. Nonwovens and
specialty papers, made by Ahlstrom, are used in a large variety of
everyday products, such as filters, wipes, flooring, labels, and
tapes. Based upon its unique fiber expertise and innovative approach,
the company has a strong market position in several business areas in
which it operates. Ahlstrom's 6,500 employees serve customers via
sales offices and production facilities in more than 20 countries on
six continents. In 2006, Ahlstrom's net sales amounted to EUR 1.6
billion. Ahlstrom's share is listed on the Helsinki Stock Exchange.
The company website is www.ahlstrom.com.

About Verizon Business

Verizon Business, a unit of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ), is
a leading provider of advanced communications and information
technology (IT) solutions to large-business and government customers
worldwide. Combining unsurpassed global network reach with advanced
communications, security and other professional service capabilities,
Verizon Business delivers innovative and seamless business solutions
to customers around the world. For more information, visit
www.verizonbusiness.com

Web site: http://www.verizonbusiness.com
http://www.verizon.com
http://www.ahlstrom.com

ots Originaltext: Verizon Business
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

$story.getcontactHeadline()
Clare Ward, Verizon Business, +44-118-905-3501,
clare.ward@verizonbusiness.com