DENVER -- Qwest Communications International Inc. (NYSE: Q) today announced the creation of a systems integrator alliances division, a division formed specifically to work for and with integrators and outsourcers. The new division focuses on collaborating with systems integrators to provide a full range of communications solutions to enterprise customers -- local, state and federal governments, and enterprise business customers.

Under this new division, Qwest works with systems integrators to pursue outsourcing deals throughout the entire sales cycle of pursuing, bidding, winning and delivering services. By teaming, Qwest is better positioned to respond to systems integrators and their business customers' growing requirements for fully integrated enterprise-wide solutions. Howard Seeger has been named regional vice president of the new division, and he will report directly to Clifford S. Holtz, Qwest's executive vice president of business markets.

According to Carrie Lewis, senior analyst at The Yankee Group, "Developing relationships to work on an integrated basis with system integrators is the direction that carriers, including Qwest, should be taking in today's IT services market. Aligning the managed networking capabilities of Qwest with the integration, business process, and vertical expertise of systems integrators enables both providers to focus on their core capabilities while bringing to market seamlessly delivered business solutions that customers are seeking."

"We are pleased that companies such as Qwest are focusing on the integrator model. Likewise, we understand how crucial our partnerships with telecom companies are to offering our customers the solutions they need for particular enterprise-wide infrastructure requirements," said Wood Parker, vice president and general manager of the Global Information Technology Division at Northrop Grumman Mission Systems. "Businesses increasingly seek straightforward, cost-effective answers to their architecture needs; providing those answers is a role tailor made for a systems integrator like Northrop Grumman."

The systems integrator alliances division allows Qwest and its integrator partners to jointly collaborate on efforts to maximize resources, skills, knowledge and relationship-building opportunities. As part of the arrangement, Qwest will assume accountability for end-to-end delivery of the entire spectrum of voice and data services to their systems integrator partners.

"The market for communications services continues to grow and a rising percentage of that business is going to systems integrators, so we have designed our new division around the integrators' business models," said Holtz. "Reflecting Qwest's Spirit of Service, we are putting additional focus on our existing relationships with systems integrators because they provide an ideal one-point-of-contact for customers that require a range of information technology solutions -- and want to get it from one source."

Qwest Communications International Inc.