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How does this impact (or not) CKFR? Thanks for any light you can shed.
Tuesday March 24, 11:00 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
SOURCE: AT&T
AT&T Launches End-To-End Electronic Commerce Solution; Offer
includes everything from hosting services to click-to-call
technology
BOSTON, March 24 /PRNewswire/ -- AT&T today announced at Internet Commerce Expo (ICE) that it will
provide businesses with an end-to-end electronic commerce solution. The company will offer the
industry's first e-commerce package that includes Web site hosting, secure online transaction services,
click-to-call technology and personalized consulting by phone to help businesses establish and
commerce-enable a Web site.
''It's no longer enough for companies to have a Web site,'' said Gary Hickox, Global Marketing vice
president, AT&T Networked Commerce Services. ''Today's Web site browsers are increasingly willing to
become online buyers. To make the most of their Internet investments, companies need to be ready to sell.
Our e-commerce solution will give businesses all the tools they need to quickly turn a Web site into a
powerful sales channel, complete with a way to securely process credit card orders and provide
on-the-spot, personalized customer service.''
In addition to hosting and personalized Web site consultation features, the AT&T eCommerce Suite offers
businesses a way to give their customers a choice in how they complete their transactions. Customers have
the option of speaking to a live customer service agent or making purchases via a secure, Web-based
transaction service.
The AT&T eCommerce Suite includes the following features:
-- AT&T Easy World Wide Web(R) (EW3(R)) Hosting, which provides merchants
with complete control over the design and content of their sites, and
includes a domain name service with one vanity domain name, an
industry-leading Web site design tool, robust site usage reports, and
customer care. It also provides bandwidth on demand, scaleable server
capacity, and network reliability backed by an industry-leading
guarantee.
-- AT&T Business Assist Program, which provides businesses with
personalized Web site services assistance by phone. Trained AT&T
consultants will help businesses develop and implement a Web site
strategy, providing advice on everything from how to help customers
easily navigate through the site to where to place click-to-call icons
and catalog pages. Consultants also will provide guidance on how to
market the site, including how to register with search engines, create
banner advertisements, use META tags effectively, and incorporate Web
site strategies into traditional marketing plans.
-- AT&T SecureBuy(SM) Service, which is a sophisticated and secure Web
transaction service. It includes a catalog development tool, the
backoffice infrastructure required to electronically process credit
card transactions online, high-speed links to two of the leading credit
card processing services, and management reports that measure a site's
success. Security technologies include an encryption-protected server,
secure socket layer technology and firewalls, as well as custom
challenge questions that allow access to authorized users only. AT&T
also provides private connections between the buyer, the Web site, and
financial transaction networks.
AT&T SecureBuy Service also offers merchants a digital couponing feature that allows them to offer
shoppers instant discounts on one or more items purchased, as well as buyer-specific pricing options.
Merchants also have access to detailed transaction reports that allow them to determine such things as sales
by period, top-selling and least-selling products and current customer buying behavior, making it easier
for merchants to assess and direct the impact online transactions are having on their business.
-- AT&T interactiveAnswers(SM) Service, which combines the human element
of live telephone conversations with the interactivity and
information-sharing of the Internet. Requiring no investment in
additional software or hardware at a company's premise, this
network-based service lets Web site visitors click on a "call me now"
icon if they wish to speak to a live customer service agent. A
"whisper tone" alerts the agent that someone visiting the company's Web
site needs more information. The AT&T network connects the two parties
and allows the caller to ask questions.
The package of services will be available on May 1 for $695 a month, a 20 percent monthly savings over the
price of these services if purchased separately. Customers also pay a one-time set-up fee of $500 and
per-transaction charges for AT&T SecureBuy Service and AT&T interactiveAnswers Service, as appropriate.
''This offer provides businesses with a 'one-stop, e-commerce shop' solution,'' said Hickox. ''Customers sign
one contract for all the services, pay one monthly bill and call one number for customer care.'' The bill
includes separate line items for each service, including usage charges.
''Consumers clearly want to have as many options as possible when visiting our site and deciding to make a
purchase,'' said Scott Fox, general manager Internet Applications for The Sentry Group. ''The new AT&T
eCommerce Suite gives us all the Web site features we need to best serve our customers, including hosting,
online transaction and click-to-call services. And we can get them all from one company, at one monthly
cost.'' The Sentry Group ( www.sentry-grp.com ), based in Rochester, N.Y., is the world leader in
fire-resistant security storage.
AT&T customers also have access to Web site design and consulting services through the nationwide AT&T
Creative Alliance Program. AT&T has established alliances with hundreds of professional Web site
designers throughout the U.S. and will provide customers with a list of these professionals for Web site
design assistance. Through the AT&T Web Site Services Site Launch Program, businesses can choose from
four pre-packaged Web site design offers, ranging in price from $500 to $15,000, depending on the
complexity of the site.
AT&T provides Web site services to 8,000 business customers. The company is the world's premier voice and
data communications company, serving more than 90 million business, consumer, and government
customers. With annual revenues of more than $51 billion and some 126,000 employees, AT&T provides
services to more than 280 countries and territories around the world.
The company runs the world's largest, most powerful long-distance network and the largest digital wireless
network in North America. The company is a leading supplier of data and Internet services for businesses
and the nation's largest direct Internet service provider to consumers. AT&T also provides outsourcing,
consulting and networking-integration services to large businesses. The company offers outbound local
calling to businesses in 49 states and remains committed, as conditions permit, to delivering local telephone
service to consumers.
For more information, customers can visit the AT&T Web site at www.att.com or www.att.com/work-net or
call AT&T at 1-800-7 HOSTIN.
SOURCE: AT&T
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