Verizon Wireless Receives Small Business Influencer Award

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., Sept. 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Wireless, provider of the largest 4G LTE network in America, received the Small Business Influencer Champion for 2011 award from Small Business Trends and SmallBizTechnology.com.  Recognized for its continued support of small businesses and their owners, Verizon Wireless accepted the award at a ceremony that took place on September 13, 2011.

"One of the value propositions from Verizon Wireless is deep expertise in the SMB area, and we understand the vertical markets in which they are competing," said Michael Schaefer, executive director, Verizon Wireless.  "We have always been focused on supporting this specialized customer base by not only providing stellar services, but also educating on how to best leverage smartphones, tablets and 4G LTE to increase efficiency and reduce operating costs.  Receiving this award is a validation of our business vision."

The Small Business Influencer Awards is a joint initiative by Small Business Trends, an online magazine serving over 2,000,000 small business owners, stakeholders and entrepreneurs annually, and Small Biz Technology, a media company which educates growing businesses on how to strategically use technology as a tool to grow their businesses.  The awards recognize people, organizations and companies who have made a meaningful and lasting impact on the North American small business market, and Verizon Wireless was selected as one of the 100 winners from over 520 nominees.

"In this day and age, it is almost impossible to run a business without utilizing technology on a certain level," said Ramon Ray, founder of SmallBizTechnology.com.  "We've worked with Verizon Wireless for several years and we've seen firsthand how much they influence the small business communities by bringing great services and taking the time to educate SMB owners on how to use them."

In addition to supporting small businesses across America, Verizon Wireless is also committed to preventing and raising awareness about domestic violence through its efforts throughout the communities.  HopeLine® from Verizon program collects used cell phones to be recycled or sold and donates the proceeds in the form of cash grants and pre-paid wireless phones to advocacy groups for use by survivors.  Verizon was the first wireless carrier in the nation to collect and recycle old cell phones, and has done so on behalf of survivors of domestic violence since January 1999 – first in New York and then across the United States.

For more information on Verizon Wireless 3G and 4G LTE networks, products and services, visit www.verizonwireless.com or call 1-800-2 JOIN IN.  Follow Verizon Wireless on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation's largest 4G LTE network and largest, most reliable 3G network. The company serves 106.3 million total wireless connections, including 89.7 million retail customers.  Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 83,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD).  For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

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SOURCE Verizon Wireless