FairPoint Communications (FRP) today outlined the timeline relating to its systems cutover in northern New England. That follows the company’s acquisition last March of Verizon Communications' wireline operations in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. FairPoint is getting help with preparations from Capgemini, its lead integration partner.
Beginning last Friday, Verizon began to extract data from its 600-plus legacy systems and transfer that data to FairPoint to be imported into approximately 60 new, state-of-the-art, fully-integrated systems. FairPoint anticipates the systems cutover process will take approximately nine days and that FairPoint will be independently operating on its new systems beginning on Feb. 9. During this period, customer orders and non-emergency service requests will be manually recorded and fulfilled after the new systems are operating.
The systems cutover from Verizon's legacy systems to FairPoint's new systems will enable FairPoint to offer new products and services, including customizable product bundles, as well as business services that leverage the Company's new MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switching) data network, which is now under construction. FairPoint will also be able to provide its customers with online bill payment.
Gene Johnson, chairman and CEO of FairPoint, said, "The transition to the new FairPoint systems and business processes is now underway. As I have said many times, a tremendous effort was put forth over the last two years to get us to this point. FairPoint and our technology partners have logged over three million hours preparing for one of the most complex systems transitions in telecommunications history. We look forward to further improving our service to the residents and businesses of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont."
