ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Verizon Partner Solutions (VPS) unit and its force of 2,250 field technicians and managers are experiencing big boosts in mobility and operating efficiency - enhancing their ability to deliver higher levels of customer satisfaction - after replacing their 8-pound laptop PCs with 5-ounce BlackBerry® 8703e smartphones from Research In Motion (RIM). Verizon unveiled the new application Thursday (May 15) at the Wireless Enterprise Symposium 2008 in Orlando.Using a new, first-of-its-kind network solution developed by Verizon, the specially configured BlackBerry devices deliver the same computing and data communications functions as the retired PCs - at a fraction of the size, weight and cost of a laptop computer.

Verizon Partner Solutions is a wholesale provider of networks and network services to wireless, Internet, cable and telephone companies based in the U.S. VPS field technicians use automated electronic systems and software applications to manage their daily service workflow, which includes the critical tasks of installing, maintaining and repairing services for customers.

"Prior to the deployment of the BlackBerry smartphones, technicians working at remote locations in the field could only connect using laptop PCs," said Diane McCarthy, senior vice president of customer experience for Verizon Partner Solutions. "It was a cumbersome process that limited their access to routine work-assignment, testing, close-out and time-reporting applications, and their ability to communicate job-status updates to customers and supervisors."

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ)