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Technology Stocks : Ascend Communications (ASND) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: djane who wrote (50819)	7/31/1998 2:03:00 AM
From: djane	Respond to of 61433

Sprint Edges Out AT&T as Top Data-Services Carrier, Reports Data Comunications [Looks like nice opportunity for ASND after CSCO stumbles at AT&T] User Survey Reveals Overall Decline in Satisfaction MANHASSET, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 30, 1998-- Sprint Corp. edged out perennial winner AT&T Corp. as the preferred North American carrier for data services, according to survey results being published in the August 7 issue of CMP Media's Data Communications. Corporate users rated carriers for how well they delivered the major data services: frame relay, leased lines, Internet access and content hosting. These services were rated in terms of network performance, customer service and value. Overall, Sprint squeaked by AT&T, which held the Data Communications top spot for four consecutive years. Worldcom Inc. and MCI Communications Inc. were ranked third and fourth, respectively, in the ninth annual survey conducted among readers of the global networking-technology magazine. Sprint took top honors in the frame relay and Internet-access service categories. AT&T was rated first in leased lines and MCI claimed the top spot in content hosting, a new category. Survey participants expressed general dissatisfaction with the level of service they receive, as demonstrated in declining scores for all carriers in all areas. "Dropping scores is an indication that telecommunications deregulation has not improved customer satisfaction," says Editor-in-Chief Lee Keough. Keough cautions that dissatisfaction should "sound the alarm" to all service providers. She adds that new service providers entering the market with brand new technology will make service and support an even greater issue for incumbents as they try to retain or build on their customer base. Although all categories were down from past years, AT&T led in network performance, Sprint led in customer service and Worldcom in value. "Sadly, AT&T seems to have taken the biggest fall," Keough writes. "It was once the gold standard among telecom service providers." In addition to being published in the August 7, 1998, issue of Data Communications, complete results of the long-distance carrier survey will be found online at data.com. Data Communications is the only global networking-technology magazine written for network managers and architects who design, build and operate multisite, mission-critical networks. It provided in-depth, comparative information on the products and technologies that provide vital communications infrastructures. Its Web site is data.com.