J.Fowler:Part II: GM/AT&T: Newbridge provides AT&T solutions:
biz.yahoo.com
Tuesday November 30, 6:30 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
SOURCE: AT&T
AT&T Awarded Contract from General Motors To Design, Build and Manage Global IP Network
BASKING RIDGE, N.J., Nov. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- AT&T announced today that it has been awarded a five-year contract worth approximately $350 million
from General Motors, the world's leading manufacturer of cars and trucks, to design, build and manage a state-of-the-art global Internet Protocol (IP)
network that will greatly enhance the automaker's e-business connectivity.
(Photo: newscom.com )
AT&T Solutions, the company's professional services subsidiary, will replace GM's multiple legacy networks with an IP backbone network that
combines
the benefits of IP and advanced networking technologies, and provide global networking management across GM's information technology infrastructure.
AT&T Solutions also will facilitate a smooth transition from GM's legacy networks to the next-generation network.
The alliance with AT&T supports GM's strategic goals of significantly reducing vehicle design-to-production intervals, reducing corporate expense by
optimizing network design and achieving operational excellence on a global basis. Additionally, AT&T Solutions will introduce state-of-the-art networking
capabilities that allow GM to integrate work efforts among teams in global design facilities in Michigan, Brazil, Germany and Singapore -- enabling
'round-the-clock, 'round-the-world collaboration on critical projects.
GM and AT&T Solutions also are establishing a joint process to standardize and guide future development of GM's global IT infrastructure, which
will
enable GM to leverage its applications, knowledge and expertise much more broadly -- from its U.S. headquarters to operations in Europe, Asia, South
America, Africa and Australia.
AT&T Solutions will work closely with EDS, GM's current primary network and computer services provider, to ensure continued smooth
operation of
legacy systems while the next-generation IP network is being built. AT&T will streamline GM's global operations by standardizing the communications
technology infrastructure across the company, and provide ubiquitous connectivity among GM's 1,100 locations in more than 40 countries.
``Seamless global networking connectivity is a top priority for us,' said Ralph Szygenda, GM Vice President and Chief Information Officer. ``AT&T's
networking expertise will help us establish closer ties across our global operations.
``More specifically,' Szygenda added, ``AT&T's networking platform furthers our global 'collaborative engineering' concept, which brings together
engineers worldwide via the web to devise on-the-spot design and work process improvements.'
Rick Roscitt, president and CEO of AT&T Solutions, said: ``We're delighted to be an integral part of GM's networking vision for the 21st century. One of the
exciting capabilities of the next-generation network we're building is that it will afford real-time, global collaboration on product development. This will
enable GM to dramatically shorten its product-development cycles while controlling costs.'
In addition to building GM's next-generation network and providing global data wide area networking management, AT&T will provide domestic and
international inbound and outbound long-distance voice, data and video services; local phone service via AT&T Digital Link and corporate calling cards.
AT&T Solutions will integrate the capabilities of Concert, the AT&T-BT global joint venture, which will provide global transport for voice and data
services. Together, AT&T Solutions and British Telecom Syncordia Solutions, BT's network outsourcing subsidiary, will jointly provide managed data,
voice and video services in Europe, Asia and Latin America. BTSS also will manage relationships with local phone companies overseas.
GM's network utilizes IP-over-SONET (synchronous optical network) capabilities -- including voice over the Internet (VoIP) transmission -- at GM's
five-building headquarters campus in the Detroit-Warren, Mich., area. AT&T will engineer the network to interface seamlessly with Automotive Network
eXchange(R) (ANX(R)), an IP-based extranet created by the automotive industry to enable electronic commerce and data exchange. AT&T is a certified
service provider for ANX.
AT&T Solutions will manage GM's networking capabilities from its Global Client Support Center in Dublin, Ohio, via the AT&T Solutions Global
Enterprise Management System (GEMS). GEMS produces seamless networking capabilities -- including predictive management -- by integrating proprietary
software developed at AT&T Labs with best-in-class enterprise-management software.
About AT&T/AT&T Solutions Group
AT&T (http://www.att.com) is among the world's premier voice and data communications company, serving more than 80 million customers, including
consumers, businesses and government. With annual revenues of more than $53 billion and 151,000 employees, AT&T provides services to customers
worldwide.
AT&T Solutions (http://www.attsolutions.com) provides seamless solutions that maximize the competitive advantage of networking-based electronic
commerce applications. It uses state-of-the-art tools and processes to operate and manage voice, data, video and Internet/intranet services, including local
and wide area networks, PBXs, voice-processing systems, and voice and data terminals.
SOURCE: AT&T
More Quotes and News:
AT&T Corp (NYSE:T - news)
Related News Categories: automobiles, ISDEX, telecom
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TA
you said:
Message #29936 from John Fowler at Dec 3 1999 8:03AM
There was an interesting article on the front page of this morning's Wall Street Journal about how GM and Ford are focused on moving their purchasing, and sales,
to the web. Not a mention of Cisco, but I believe it was one of the most bullish articles I have ever read for networking companies.
As a for instance, GM has directed all it's suppliers, over 100,000, to move their entire interface with GM to the web by the end of 2001. They also expect them to
work with *their* vendors through the web.
These are just two companies, but their vendors and vendor's vendors represent many, many businesses. I'm sure the same plans, if not actions, are taking place
all across US industries.
If anyone was access to WSJ interactive, and can post this article, I think it is worth the time. It makes it clear, to me at least, that the major potential for internet
infrastructure companies is still in front of us.
John
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