Some interesting AT&T news:
Thursday February 10, 8:06 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
SOURCE: AT&T
AT&T Opens State-of-the-Art Global Network Operations Center
BEDMINSTER, N.J., Feb. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- AT&T (NYSE: T - news) launched a new era in the telecommunications industry today when it celebrated the grand opening of its new state-of-the-art Global Network Operations Center here.
(Photo: newscom.com newscom.com
The new facility, the largest, most sophisticated business command-and-control center in the world, allows AT&T to proactively manage the movement of any type of communications ``traffic' traveling its network, anywhere in the world, from one central location.
``Our objective is simple -- to complete the maximum number of voice calls and data transmissions possible on the first attempt,' said AT&T Chairman C. Michael Armstrong. ``This center will improve the efficiency and reliability of our network by allowing us to coordinate and manage domestic and global long distance, local calls, data service, and wireless service from one facility.'
New Jersey Governor Christie Whitman, local dignitaries and Armstrong joined Frank Ianna, president of AT&T Network Services, and a group of AT&T employees in the grand opening ceremony.
``New Jersey and AT&T have long been 'perfect together,' said Whitman. ``The contributions that AT&T has made to technological progress are unmatched both in volume and scope by any company in the world. From the invention of the transistor to new forms of e-commerce, AT&T is showing the rest of the world how and where great things are done -- right here in New Jersey.'
In January 1998, AT&T announced plans to ``future-proof' its network by preparing it to handle any type of traffic customers generate, in any quantity, at any speed, over any distance. AT&T took a dramatic step toward achieving that goal in December 1999 with the introduction of an aggressive plan to significantly expand the transport capacity of its network by installing 16,500 route miles of the latest, state-of-the-art fiber-optic cable.
This new network, which will link 30 major metropolitan areas nationwide, will allow AT&T to be among the first to offer ultra-high speed bandwidth OC-192 services now and OC-768 services when that technology becomes available.
``The new Global Network Operations Center represents yet another step toward preparing our network for the future,' said Ianna. ``It allows a team of talented employees to use the most advanced network management and diagnostic tools available to efficiently manage the full range of AT&T services.'
On peak days, the AT&T network handles more than 300 million voice calls and approximately 675 terabytes on its data lines and networks. (``Tera' equals trillion.) On a peak business day, the AT&T network carries data equal to approximately 34 times the contents of the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., plus 300 million voice calls.
The new center officially began managing the AT&T network on Dec. 15, less than 21 months after the groundbreaking in March 1998. Only 16 days later, with Armstrong and Ianna on hand, it managed AT&T network operations during the rollover to the year 2000.
``The Global Network Operations Center was an exciting place to be New Year's Eve, because we were right in the middle of the action,' said Ianna. ``Each hour we saw the new year arrive in another time zone, and when it came our turn here in the United States, it was great to see the AT&T network continue to perform flawlessly, just as we had predicted.'
Network managers at the new facility use 141 giant rear-projection screens to monitor the flow of traffic across the global network. Each screen is 4 feet tall by 5 feet wide and provides real-time data on network performance using charts, graphs or maps.
AT&T has invested nearly $90 million in the new building, which is set into a hillside on the company's 200-acre campus along Routes 202 and 206 near Interstate 287. The structure has four floors, two of which are above ground level, and includes 198,000 square feet of floor space.
Although the Global Network Operations Center will be the primary focal point of the new building, the facility will also include a high-tech Corporate Briefing Center, a Visitors' Center for business and government customers, and additional office space for AT&T employees.
The new AT&T building was designed by Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum of New York City.
Turner Construction, also of New York City, coordinated and supervised construction of the project.
AT&T (www.att.com) is the world's leading provider of voice and data communications, with more than 80 million customers, including businesses, consumers and government. Backed by the research and development capabilities of AT&T Labs, the company runs the world's largest, most powerful long distance network and one of the largest wireless networks in North America. The company is the leading supplier of data and Internet services for businesses and the nation's largest direct Internet service provider to consumers. AT&T also provides local telephone service to a growing number of businesses and consumers.
SOURCE: AT&T |
