Let professionalism ring

Years ago, when I was the editor in chief of a business-to-business magazine in the sporting goods industry, I found myself in the middle of a spat between an editor and an art director.

This isn't unusual in publishing. Artists and editors see the world through two completely different sets of eyes, and they often butt heads. But this was different. These two clearly didn't like each other. In fact, their dislike for each other was so profound that the conflict really was more of a feud than a spat.

So we had a meeting. I explained to them—admittedly in words that were less calm than those I am writing now—that I didn't much care whether they liked each other, but I did expect them to find a way to work together. In other words, I expected them to act as professionals. Then—just to make sure there was no confusion—I gave them my simple definition of a professional: Someone who gets it done, regardless of task, regardless of circumstance.

It's safe to say that no organization in telecom history has been more sorely tested by that definition than Verizon, which for nearly two weeks has found itself at ground zero of the tragedy in New York City. And no organization has ever met that test as well.

The company's 140 West Street central office is adjacent to the collapsed 7 World Trade Center. Five stories of debris are piled up against the back wall of the office. Steel beams from the collapse javelined into the building. Power grids are under water. Equipment is caked with dirt, dust and grime, and it must be meticulously cleaned before it can be connected to a power source. And as I write these words, New York City firefighters are standing on the building's seventh floor, pouring water through the windows onto the smoldering remains of 7 World Trade Center.

A few blocks away is the Broad Street office, operating on portable generators because there is no commercial power in that area. This office provides about 80% of the voice and data capacity needed by the NYSE. Of the 15,000 circuits that connect to the exchange, 14,000 were destroyed or severely damaged.

Late last week our government decided—no, insisted—the NYSE would open on the Monday after the tragedy to send a clear message to the fiends that, in the words of Verizon co-CEO Ivan Seidenberg, “America was back in business.”

It was the right thing to do. And never has a sound been as sweet as the peal of the opening bell on September 17. But before it could happen, Verizon faced the seemingly impossible task of restoring 14,000 circuits in about four days. They did. To be sure, they had plenty of help. Larry Babbio, the president of Verizon's telecom group, pointed to the remarkable efforts of the company's vendors, as well as to the cooperation of competitive carriers, all of which resulted in an extremely well-coordinated effort.

But make no mistake. As the primary service provider to the area, Verizon bore the brunt of the responsibility. And it went about this task with a heavy heart. Six of the 500 or so employees stationed in the south tower of the WTC are missing and presumed dead. In addition, three technicians from Genuity, who were in the WTC to maintain Verizon equipment, were lost when the towers collapsed.

With its success at Broad Street, Verizon would be well-justified to rest on its laurels. But that's not possible. The 140 West St. office serves 200,000 access lines and 3.5 million circuits. As an interim step, the company has rerouted about 2 million circuits. But eventually 140 West St. will need to be fully restored or rebuilt. According to Babbio, the task will begin as soon as it is safe to enter the building.

Until then, stand tall Verizon. You've earned it. More than that, you've redefined what it means to be a professional. Well done.
Contact Glenn Bischoff at gbischoff@primediabusiness.com.