Time to sharpen up.

Today on Up To Speed Live, Andy shared the following news and announcements.

MyEdge returns

MyEdge is a video series from our HR Learning and Development team that V Teamers can find and watch on Learning Portal 2.0. Matty Braden from our Learning and Development team joined Andy to talk about how his group partnered with Verizon Media Studios to develop the MyEdge docuseries. Word spread as season one dropped over the past year, with 15-20K people watching individual episodes. Now an all new second season focuses on how we can sharpen our own edge for 2021.

Speaking of Up To Speed

We want to acknowledge a slight change in the way you watch and interact with Up To Speed. We are temporarily disabling comment features for live broadcasts that may include an external audience. V Teamers will still be able to interact and connect with us on our internal channels. This shift came after we noticed on our Wednesday live broadcast with Hans and Christy that a live chat commenter on Twitter from outside the company made a handful of remarks that attempted to reference spectrum acquisition. With an ongoing spectrum auction at the FCC, this is a topic we all must handle with sensitivity.

Don’t forget the app

A reminder that a great and easy way to access Up To Speed is via the Inside Verizon app. Download it for free from the Apple App Store or Google Play online store.

Simon Fuller partnership

As we often say, the best like to partner with the best. So it isn’t surprising that this week we announced a very special innovative 5G partnership with Simon Fuller, the man behind American Idol and The Spice Girls. His company, XIX Entertainment, will use 5G Ultra Wideband and extended reality (XR) to transform storytelling. This means Verizon’s XR Lab, 5G Labs and Verizon’s engineers will help craft and deliver some game changing entertainment projects. So look for this partnership’s first project, a short-form immersive video, to emerge early next year.

Apple gifts for all

iPhone fans rejoice. The iPhone 12 Pro is now available to V Teamers, which means all the iPhone 12 models are now available for employees.

In addition, you may have heard about the new Airpod Pro Max, Apple’s new over the ear headphones. They are available for preorder right now and will be widely available next Tuesday, December 15.

Employee discount

With the holiday shopping season in full swing, it’s a good time to remember that all V Teamers are eligible for discounts on Verizon products and services. That includes accessories, computers, electronics by major name brands, and a whole lot more. You’re going to want to check out the Verizon Employee Discount page on About You for all the details.

International Human Rights Day

We would be remiss if we did not recognize International Human Rights Day, which took place yesterday. Hans often talks about this issue, and we have a dedicated page that talks about why it’s important to us as a company. We want to thank our teams working to make sure human rights continue to be a key part of our company’s mission.

Courageous Conversation

ADVANCE is hosting an executive Courageous Conversation you won’t want to miss. Kelley Kurtzman will lead a panel of our business leaders who will discuss the importance of having meaningful conversations about disabilities and mental health. The event will take place this Monday, December 14 at 3 PM ET.

Happy Hanukkah

Hanukkah is here again. The eight day Jewish festival of lights commemorates the miracle of a small amount of oil burning for 8 straight days. Adam Leventhal, Business Development, of West Nyack, NY, shared a photo of himself with his little ones Elle and Zachary. Jessica Cohen, Lobbyist Manager from Twinsburg, OH, shared a pic of herself, her husband Eric and their kids Devorah, Eli and Dovi. Thanks for sharing!

To all those that celebrate, the Up To Speed team would like to wish you a Happy Hanukkah.

If you have any questions, email them to live@verizon.com.

Click here for a transcript of the webcast.

Get the latest information on our Coronavirus Resource Page (Inside Verizon, The Street).

Reminder, tune in to Up To Speed Live Monday at 12 PM ET/9 AM PT.

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