MCI quietly becomes Verizon

That transformation -- under the "Verizon Business" name -- is taking place locally after Verizon closed its US$8.44 billion acquisition of MCI back on 6 January this year.

The buyout gave Verizon an international long-distance network and a number of large corporate customers. But it had limited ramifications in Australia.

"It'll be more or less business as usual," an Asia-Pacific spokesperson for the new Verizon Business division told ZDNet Australia yesterday.

"The sales and services organisation across the Asia-Pacific -- including Australia and New Zealand -- remains unchanged."

"Our product strategy ... is basically not going to change at all."

The spokesperson said Verizon was reaching out to its international customers to inform them of the new brand and to claim that the transformation "won't alter the performance or quality of the services we provide".

Like some of Verizon's global competitors (for example British Telecom and AT&T), the new division plans to invest in its international network.

"Two of the benefits of this, especially for Australia, will include the launch of Voice over IP in the corporate retail environment, and continued investment into expansion of the MPLS network," the spokesperson said.

Yesterday, ex-MCI staff were answering the phones in the company's Sydney office as "Verizon Business", and the company's local Web site had been transitioned.