NewswireTODAY - /newswire/ - Dallas, TX, United States, 2009/01/06 - AT&T Business Solutions today announced that the AT&T Wholesale organization received two awards from global growth consulting firm Frost & Sullivan - [NYSE: T].

The company received the 2009 North American Wholesale Communication Services Market Company of the Year Award and the 2009 North American Wholesale Communication Services Product of the Year Award for AT&T VoIP Connect Service (AVOICS).

The Company of the Year Award is presented to the company that has demonstrated unparalleled excellence within its industry, and AT&T Wholesale was specifically recognized for its unmatched service offerings and wholesale market leadership. The award is based on numerous factors, including the company's commitment to business expansion, competitive strategy, customer satisfaction, and the number of new customers and new segments coupled with market growth.

"We delivered a return to positive growth in wholesale revenues last year, and this turnaround reflects solid demand from our customers," said Kathryn Morrissey, executive vice president, Wholesale, AT&T Business Solutions. "We are honored to receive these prestigious awards and will continue to execute our strategy to provide innovative integrated solutions to our customers."

Frost & Sullivan's continuing research of the wholesale data and transport services industry shows that AT&T Wholesale is the most preferred wholesale communications service provider, with the company emerging as a leader in the metro SONET and overall Ethernet services businesses. The research also shows that AT&T Wholesale is the most preferred wholesaler by the wireless service provider segment for mobile backhaul and transport services.

"Time and again, AT&T Wholesale has proven its ability to perceive market needs and successfully cater to them by introducing new products and services," said Maria Zeppetella, senior analyst in the Telecommunications Services group at Frost & Sullivan. "With its breadth of product offering and depth of industry experience, AT&T Wholesale is well positioned to retain its leadership as the most preferred service provider in the wholesale communications service industry."

One example of AT&T Wholesale's premier product offerings is AVOICS, the 2009 Product of the Year for Wholesale Communication Services Award winner. AVOICS is the flagship wholesale VoIP service offered to U.S. service providers that requires IP-based connectivity to the company's global IP network for long distance call termination. Backed by the power of the AT&T MPLS network, AVOICS is built on a world-class IP VoIP architecture. AVOICS helps service providers cost-effectively broaden their footprint and enhance their bandwidth needs.

According to Frost & Sullivan, no major carrier offered wholesale Ethernet access with VoIP trunking service, but AT&T Wholesale has recently broken that barrier. The combination of Gigabit Ethernet and Session Initiated Protocol trunking provided by AVOICS enables retail communications service providers — local telephone companies, cable operators, wireless operators and potential new entrants — to meet the marketplace demand for a forward-looking telecommunications service. By combining robust and interoperable VoIP support with Ethernet access, AT&T Wholesale leads the way in satisfying a marketplace demand among enterprise customers and the carriers who support them.

"Customers have responded positively to AVOICS, as we deliver highly reliable, available, secure and scaled LD VoIP termination," added Morrissey. "Collaboration is key to our success, as our VoIP experts work closely with customers to support their unique requirements with converged solutions. We are committed to making further enhancements to our carrier-grade VoIP portfolio to meet the strong demand."

Frost & Sullivan's Product of the Year Award is presented each year to the company that has demonstrated excellence in new product development and launch within its industry. The recipient company has shown innovation by launching a broad line of emerging products and technologies. All new product launches and new products in development in each company are compared and evaluated based on degree of innovation and customer satisfaction.

The selection process for both awards included interviews with all the industry participants, customers and suppliers, along with extensive secondary research.

As a global leader, AT&T Wholesale delivers a full portfolio of end-to-end, reliable and highly secure network, voice, data and IP solutions to the six wholesale industry segments that it serves: carriers, wireless operators, cable providers, systems integrators, Internet service providers and content providers. The company is one of the largest wholesale transport and communications service providers in the world — maintaining connections to over 600 carriers in more than 220 countries and territories. AT&T Wholesale brings value to wholesale customers through its industry-leading solutions, full-circle business relationships and scale, scope and expertise.

For the complete selection of AT&T Wholesale offerings, visit att.com/wholesale.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan (frost.com), the Growth Partnership Company, partners with clients to accelerate their growth. The company's TEAM Research, Growth Consulting, and Growth Team Membership™ empower clients to create a growth-focused culture that generates, evaluates, and implements effective growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan employs over 45 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses, and the investment community from more than 30 offices on six continents.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. (att.com) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates, AT&T operating companies, are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. Among their offerings are the world's most advanced IP-based business communications services and the nation's leading wireless, high speed Internet access and voice services. In domestic markets, AT&T is known for the directory publishing and advertising sales leadership of its Yellow Pages and YELLOWPAGES.COM organizations, and the AT&T brand is licensed to innovators in such fields as communications equipment. As part of its three-screen integration strategy, AT&T is expanding its TV entertainment offerings. In 2008, AT&T again ranked No. 1 on Fortune magazine's World's Most Admired Telecommunications Company list and No. 1 on America's Most Admired Telecommunications Company list. Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available online.

For more information, contact:
Wendi Fuller for AT&T
O: 214-665-1306
E: wfuller[.]attnews.us

Agency / Source: Frost & Sullivan

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