Retraining techs for an IT future

Previously, the telecom-specific hardware tended to be easier to diagnose, Gibson admitted. But she says IP gear makers have done a good job of providing diagnostics for their more software-intensive systems.

"The good news is the manufacturers typically have made their equipment and software pretty easily diagnosable," Gibson said. "Within Verizon, we have some pretty good techs and people at the tier-two NOC [network operations center] who do an incredible job. What does get referred by our field techs to the NOC tends to be solved there. We escalate less than 1% of problems to the manufacturers."

Verizon has been aided by a new generation of techs that grew up with PCs and laptops and are not intimidated by complex problems involving the interaction of software and applications, Gibson said. Training remains an ongoing process, using Verizon's internal training organization, she added. Much of the training is PC-based and can be done either during down time on the job or on the employee's own time.

Coming tomorrow: How Verizon Business reshaped its organization to sell IP-based solutions