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ULTA Awards AT&T $3.6 Million Contract for Managed Data Solution

Posted on: Tuesday, 9 December 2003, 06:00 CST

CHICAGO, Dec. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- AT&T today announced it has won a three-year, $3.6 million contract from ULTA Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance Inc. to provide a fully managed high-speed data solution, networking 131 ULTA store locations and the company's Romeoville, Ill., headquarters.

ULTA, a nationwide leading retail beauty products supplier, will use AT&T's comprehensive networking solution to implement point-of-sale transactions and voice services that enhance customer service, reduce business costs and raise brand loyalty.

The AT&T Managed Multi-Service Networking solution will enable ULTA to collect and analyze point-of-sale data from its stores to identify individual and collective customer purchasing patterns. Additionally, customer trend data will enable ULTA to stay closely in tune with consumers' evolving tastes and help the retailer stock products that meet customers' needs.

The high-speed network also will help the company analyze data about purchases by members of ULTA's "Beauty Club," the company's brand loyalty program, so that members receive the company's best product offers. Real-time analysis will enable ULTA to issue beauty club rewards at the register for products and services that complement individual customers' shopping patterns.

Additionally, ULTA will reduce its long-distance costs by routing intra-company calls over AT&T's data network in Internet Protocol (IP) format.

CDW Corporation, a leading provider of multi-branded technology products and services and an AT&T Alliance Agent, introduced ULTA to the benefits of the AT&T Managed Multi-Service Networking solution. Certified system engineers from CDW's Bandwidth Specialty Team collaborated with AT&T to design and implement the solution to meet ULTA's needs. AT&T Alliance Channel agents complement AT&T's capabilities with specialized skills in network design and deployment, Web site design and development, applications integration and customer training.

"We awarded this contract to the AT&T-CDW team because of the total solution approach it delivered," said Greg Smolarek, ULTA senior vice president of systems and logistics. "No other carrier we evaluated was able to address all of ULTA's objectives with one integrated solution. Because of the value AT&T and CDW created together, ULTA's strategic needs were met and exceeded.

"Replacing our slower, labor-intensive dial-up network with AT&T's state-of-the-art integrated solution marks a major change in our business model that will bring us closer to our customers and help reduce costs," added Smolarek.

Once operational, AT&T's solution will provide around-the-clock network monitoring and management, allowing the ULTA information technologies team to focus on developing new network applications. ULTA will have access to AT&T's BusinessDirect Web portal to order, provision, repair, monitor and measure data and voice services.

"With this sophisticated networking application, ULTA can implement new applications that help increase revenue," said Tim Akers, AT&T sales vice president. "And with AT&T managing the network, ULTA is freed up from complex network management processes to focus on strategic initiatives that improve its bottom line."

ULTA, with stores in 16 states, offers customers outstanding beauty advice in a relaxed, help-yourself atmosphere. Its stores combine the best of three worlds under one roof -- salon, prestige and mass -- in locations that are single beauty destinations for women wishing to simplify their lives.

About AT&T

For more than 125 years, AT&T (NYSE "T") has been known for unparalleled quality and reliability in communications. Backed by the research and development capabilities of AT&T Labs, the company is a global leader in local, long distance, Internet and transaction-based voice and data services.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19991018/ATT )

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AT&T

CONTACT: Dennis Fulton, +1-312-230-4885, mobile: +1-312-925-6197,defulton@att.com, or Mike Pruyn, +1-312-230-4894, mobile: +1-312-953-1157,mpruyn@att.com, both of AT&T

Web site: http://www.att.com/

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