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AT&T Expands and Accelerates Business VoIP Services

Posted on: Wednesday, 24 March 2004, 06:00 CST

BEDMINSTER, N.J., March 24 /PRNewswire/ -- AT&T today announced plans to accelerate expansion of its business voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) service portfolio, giving companies-from small businesses to large multinationals-and government agencies unprecedented choices and flexibility to meet customers' VoIP networking convergence requirements.

Offering business VoIP services since 1997, AT&T is accelerating its commitment and timetable to provide VoIP services across key areas for businesses:

* Equipment interoperability -- With the addition of three new equipment

companies -- Alcatel, Nortel Networks and Siemens -- AT&T today becomes

the first and only service provider committed to deliver

interoperability with the five leading IP PBX providers in the

industry. AT&T previously announced interoperability with Avaya and

Cisco.

* "VoIP-Enabling" the Networking Portfolio -- AT&T this year will

introduce a broader set of VoIP-enabled options across its managed data

and virtual private networking portfolio. For example, AT&T this year

will deliver an IP local service option for its managed services

customers, giving businesses VoIP capabilities on an end-to-end basis.

The company has already "VoIP-enabled" most of its managed services

portfolio.

* VoIP Applications -- AT&T has committed to developing and introducing

three critical VoIP applications for business operations-IP Centrex,

call center and teleworker solutions-with trials beginning mid-year.

"For businesses today, VoIP is a critical investment for productivity and improved performance. Our relationships and ability to interoperate with the leading IP equipment vendors are key to our strategy in developing the VoIP services and applications that businesses want," said Cathy Martine, senior vice president -- AT&T Internet Telephony. "Working with them, we will help businesses migrate to a converged voice and data networking environment at their own pace."

Tom Valovic, Program Director-IP Telephony at International Data Corp., said, "The business enterprise represents a critical segment for the growth of VoIP, as this emerging technology matures in terms of quality, availability and feature functionality. AT&T's expansion plans and approach further validate the growing market and momentum for VoIP services."

A strategic element in helping businesses migrate to VoIP is AT&T's ability to interoperate with leading IP equipment providers. As a result, AT&T will continue the industry's broadest interoperability and certification program, which it launched in February 1999, with leading IP equipment providers to deliver IP telephony and VoIP services. AT&T's new IP telephony service provides businesses end-to-end VoIP service across wide and local area networks (LANs) for the first time, with a continuum of management options that give businesses increased flexibility and choice in their VoIP migration.

With AT&T IP Telephony LAN Services, AT&T can help businesses design and implement a migration path from separate premises voice and data networks to a unified remotely managed platform and a gateway to future voice and data services. AT&T can manage customer equipment, such as call manager servers, voice gateways, voice email, IP phones and IP soft phones.

Responding to growing customer demand to "VoIP-enable" their networks, AT&T also will expand the service options that enable businesses to run voice over their existing managed data networks and virtual private networks (VPNs), protecting their existing investments, infrastructure and business operations.

AT&T last fall announced a VoIP option for its global IP VPN service, which has generated a high level of customer interest. AT&T's VoIP-enabled services are built on the company's global MPLS-based IP network and provide high degrees of quality, security and, reliability.

This year, the company is introducing AT&T IP local service, which will move local calls over the AT&T IP network.

The VoIP-enabled portfolio will serve as the foundation to deliver feature-rich applications that improve productivity and generate better returns on investment. Not only will AT&T deliver IP Centrex, contact center and teleworker VoIP applications, AT&T's networking professionals today are already working with hundreds of clients designing and implementing the many stages of VoIP convergence.

AT&T, the only business VoIP service provider offering voice quality backed by standards-based service level agreements, currently supports hundreds of business VoIP customers. Over the last year alone, the company experienced a fourfold increase in the number of business customers using its VoIP services.

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.

AT&T 'Safe Harbor'

The foregoing contains "forward-looking statements" which are based on management's beliefs as well as on a number of assumptions concerning future events made by and information currently available to management. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which are not a guarantee of performance and are subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside AT&T's control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements. For a more detailed description of the factors that could cause such a difference, please see AT&T's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. AT&T disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. This information is presented solely to provide additional information to further understand the results of AT&T.

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

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19991018/ATT

AT&T

CONTACT: Joyce Van Duzer, +1-908-234-8637, jvanduzer@att.com, or KathrynZawacke, +1-908-658-6079, zawacke@att.com, both of AT&T

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

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