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Businesses Respond to Sprint's Increased Focus on Wireless, IP and Multi-Product Solutions

Posted on: Monday, 1 November 2004, 15:00 CST

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., Nov. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- The trend is emerging; business customers of all sizes are increasingly demanding wireless, IP-driven and multi-product solutions to solve business challenges. Several new multi- year contracts won by Sprint underscore the value of accelerating sales and marketing efforts in the three high-growth areas -- a strategy move announced Oct. 15. Sprint Business Solutions President Howard Janzen said then, "This strategy plays to our strengths by advancing our broad portfolio of wireline and wireless capabilities, which is unmatched by any of our competitors."

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20001013/SPRINTLOGO )

Three new contracts represent traction related to Sprint's renewed focus:

-- VHA Inc. -- Sprint will serve VHA's more than 2,200 member

organizations with a comprehensive portfolio of wireless and wireline

services. Through this three-year contract, VHA member organizations

can take advantage of Sprint Complete Access, a customizable

telecommunications services bundle that includes local, long-distance

and IP data services packaged at competitive pricing with one point of

contact and one bill. VHA is a national cooperative of leading not-

for-profit, community-owned health care organizations.

-- AMC Entertainment -- Building on a seven-year relationship, Sprint

will transition AMC's existing frame relay network to a peerless IP

network which will better position the company to introduce new

applications to its more than 200 AMC theatre complexes across the

country. Sprint's peerless IP network is a highly secure private IP

backbone that does not connect to the public global Internet. Since

Sprint launched the peerless IP network last year for government

agencies, and expanded commercial availability earlier this year,

business customers are increasingly attracted to this unique network

architecture. AMC Entertainment Inc. is a leader in the theatrical

exhibition industry.

-- Clarks Companies N.A. -- Last year, Sprint began working with this

North American based footwear designer and distributor of Clarks,

Bostonian, Indigo and Privo brands. Clarks, a 175-year-old shoe

retailer and wholesaler, successfully implemented dial IP service to

solve issues with processing credit card transactions in their 150

retail locations across North America. Now Sprint has finalized a

multi-year contract with Clarks to provide IP virtual private network

(VPN) for secure, high-speed data connectivity between the corporate

datacenter and all U.S. and Canadian locations. Sprint will also

provide long-distance and wireless voice and data services to enhance

communications for their mobile workforce.

-- Applebee's International -- A long time Sprint customer, Applebee's

International has enjoyed the flexibility and scalability of Sprint's

data network as they have streamlined their inventory management,

communications and transactions needs among company restaurants

nationwide. The system has grown more than 50 percent since its

original installation in 1999, as Applebee's has continually opened

new restaurants all over the country. Now Applebee's International is

testing a new wireless device at select company restaurants. The

device runs credit card transactions for the company's fast-growing

Carside To Go service.

Amy Anthony, VHA vice president, supplier services, said, "As we've used Sprint wireless services, we've experienced a strong, successful relationship so it only made sense to turn to Sprint to meet our voice and data needs. Sprint has a long history of stability and reliability that was very important to our decision. Sprint's focus on healthcare is evident through their involvement in industry organizations and vertical solutions such as telemedicine and healthcare mobility. Additionally, we feel the way the Sprint business organization is aligned will make it very easy for our member organizations to work with local account teams to select and implement the services."

About Sprint

Sprint is a global integrated communications provider serving more than 26 million customers in over 100 countries. With more than $26 billion in annual revenues in 2003, Sprint is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying state-of-the-art network technologies, including the United States' first nationwide all-digital, fiber-optic network and an award- winning Tier 1 Internet backbone. Sprint provides local communications services in 39 states and the District of Columbia and operates the largest 100-percent digital, nationwide PCS wireless network in the United States. For more information, visit http://www.sprint.com/ .

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20001013/SPRINTLOGOAP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

Sprint

CONTACT: Stephanie Taliaferro of Sprint, +1-913-794-3658,Stephanie.c.taliaferro@mail.sprint.com

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

Source: PRNewswire

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