TMCnet News
Providea Awards $22 Million Networking Contract to AT&T CAMARILLO, Calif., May 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AT&T announced today an agreement with Providea Inc. to provide and manage an integrated networking solution to enhance Providea's retail video communications services throughout the United States. The agreement is valued at $22 million over the next five years."This network solution is vital to our objective of providing flexible, secure, and cost-effective video communication solutions to our customers," said Tom Bailey, president, Providea. "With the network built and properly maintained, we can focus on our core expertise of offering tailored video solutions that deliver the consistent performance our customers expect." Using an integrated portfolio of AT&T local, long-distance, frame relay and Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) services, Providea has realized operational efficiencies in a number of areas, including the ability to electronically bill its customers and order products and services online. Through the secure AT&T BusinessDirect(R) portal, Providea also has online access to near-real- time reports on network performance and direct connection to trouble management systems. "Thanks to our ability to conduct much of our network business online, we've already improved turnaround time for customer installations by 40 percent," John Price, executive vice president, Providea, explained. "And we're resolving network problems 90 percent faster through the online system." Using the AT&T Video Gateway Service, Providea gains a competitive advantage with its ability to seamlessly connect customers' videoconference calls, regardless of the type of network participants are using. The "gateway" establishes a transition path among the different platforms, which enables multiple participants to communicate, whether they use an Internet Protocol (IP) network or an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN). In addition, Providea's customers benefit from the intrinsic flexibilities of the network - it is readily available and scalable, depending on demands at any given time. "Providea has a clear vision for its future - to stay focused on strategic initiatives that enhance and expand its video communications offerings to customers," said Diana Clark, AT&T sales center vice president, Los Angeles. "With this agreement, we're able to provide and manage the network backbone so Providea is able to concentrate on its video solutions business priorities." Providea also enjoys a single point of contact for all voice and data services nationwide, streamlined billing and discounts across the full array of services through AT&T OneNet(R) Service. In addition, AT&T Global Managed Internet Services (GMIS) enables Providea to offer and manage international communications from the U.S. with a dedicated, reliable Internet connection to sites in more than 50 countries. About Providea Providea is a leading provider of proven video communications solutions comprised of best in class hardware, services, network and multipoint conferencing. Providea specializes in providing solutions that are tailored to meet each customer's specific needs with uncompromising quality, reliability and performance. Providea is a privately held company, headquartered in Southern California with offices nationwide. 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) Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19991018/ATT ) AT&T; Providea Inc. CONTACT: Barbara Cattolica of AT&T, +1-415-442-2299,[email protected]; or Teri Bevan of Providea, +1-805-384-2408,[email protected] Web site: http://www.att.com/ |