AT&T Expands Innovation, Industry Alliances To Deliver Mobility And Cloud Solutions To Businesses

DALLAS, Sept. 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- AT&T* is significantly expanding industry alliances, accelerating its platform strategy and fostering an "ecosystem" of innovation to meet business customer demand for highly secure mobility and cloud-based solutions, according to Andy Geisse, CEO, AT&T Business Solutions. Geisse addressed more than 70 industry analysts being hosted at the company's Dallas headquarters this week.

AT&T outlined progress against its strategy to seize the opportunities afforded by the emergence of business mobility, security and cloud computing as highly popular, industry-transformative technologies.

AT&T's strategy for enterprise customers includes:

1. Deploying  its core fiber, LTE and IP broadband networks to deliver key services such as Ethernet and virtual private networking
2. Differentiating itself by scaling and deploying cloud, security and application interface platforms
3. Delivering fully integrated solutions to companies.

The company made several announcements underscoring its progress against this strategy:

• A cloud agreement with Microsoft. AT&T and Microsoft will deliver security-enhanced and reliable cloud solutions that will allow enterprise customers to connect to Microsoft's cloud platform using a private network. The new solutions will use breakthrough cloud integration technology from AT&T to pair virtual private networking with Microsoft's industry-leading Windows Azure cloud platform. This follows recent similar announcements AT&T has made with enterprise computing vendors to fuse their public cloud platforms with AT&T's network using AT&T NetBond: innovative AT&T technology that allows business customers highly secure access to cloud-based services from almost any device.
• An enterprise-focused Application Programming Interface (API) program. AT&T is launching an API platform for enterprise customers, wholesale collaborators and solution providers, allowing them to innovate using AT&T network APIs. The new API program complements AT&T's consumer developer program, which has consistently been rated best by Evans Data Corporation.¹ The telecommunications industry API opportunity is expected to grow to $157 billion in global revenues by 2018.²
• A mobile application development agreement with SAP. Expected to be available to business customers in the fourth quarter of 2013, AT&T customers can use the SAP® Mobile Platform to launch, distribute and manage mobile apps, content and devices. This is the latest in a series of agreements to help businesses develop and deploy custom mobile applications that allow employees to access software capabilities from virtually any mobile device – most often used for inventory, resource planning, customer service and managing workforces. More than 68,000 AT&T business customers have adopted mobile applications across multiple industries.
• New managed security services and portfolio capabilities, including the industry's first all-in-one mobile security solution to be launched later this year. Using the service, businesses of all sizes will be able to securely manage mobile ecosystems even if they are not AT&T wireless customers. AT&T also reported it has doubled its network capacity and added new customer services to handle the growing volume of distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. AT&T manages 24,000 security devices and one million seats for cloud-based security services with a 98 percent retention rate among security clients.
• Significantly expanded network reach and access across 15 markets in Latin America as a result of enhanced network connectivity with América Móvil. AT&T and América Móvil are building on existing capabilities and interconnections to deliver advanced enterprise solutions to multinational companies.
• Said it is on schedule to deliver fiber to approximately 250,000 additional business customer locations by year-end 2013. In total, the company plans to reach an additional 1 million business customer locations by the end of 2015 with this program. So far, AT&T has deployed fiber to more than 5,000 additional multi-tenant office buildings reaching more than 170,000 business customer locations from late last year through August 2013.

"There are only a few times when you get to participate in a technology disruption as big as the one we're currently experiencing," said Geisse. "Whether it's equipping flight attendants with tablets to take orders, embedding technology in cars to connect people to information, or delivering store promotions on mobile devices when a shopper walks into a store, our world-renowned network and expertise is playing a huge role in changing how people live and how companies, government, and institutions like schools and hospitals operate."

Speakers at AT&T's Industry Analyst Conference, including executives from Hertz, Maersk and Infiniti Red Bull Racing, described how AT&T has helped them transform their business operations. Hertz CTO Rob Moore said the car rental company is using mobility solutions to quickly assign vehicles to travelers as they arrive at an airport and to provide location-based direction and roadside services to help drivers stay connected while on the go.  Maersk CIO Robin Johnson discussed machine-to-machine communications and opportunities.

In addition, AT&T has announced the following customer wins:

• Air China - AT&T is providing specialized consulting services to Air China to help it develop a five-year roadmap for mobile communications and technology.
• SWIFT - AT&T has extended its network connectivity solutions to SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) in the Middle East. SWIFT provides a network, products and services to more than 10,000 banking organizations, securities institutions and corporate customers in 212 countries and territories. Their network allows their customers to send and receive information about financial transactions using a highly secure, standardized and reliable environment. AT&T is a preferred network provider to SWIFT and has competitively provided IP virtual private network services to SWIFT's global customers, including leading financial institutions, since 2002.

Other customer solutions referenced throughout the two day session included Ancero, Art.com, Carnival Cruises, Delta Air Lines, Goodwill Industries International, State of Texas, and the United States Postal Service.

¹ Evans Data Corporation, 2012, 'Mobile Development Survey Volume II'

² Mind Commerce, September 2013, 'Telecom Network API Marketplace: Strategy, Ecosystem, Players and Forecasts 2013-2018'

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company and one of the most honored companies in the world. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and internationally. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's fastest and most reliable 4G LTE network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile Internet, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries.  It also offers advanced TV service with the AT&T U-verse^® brand. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world.

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