AT&T Opens The Innovation Doors To Solution Providers

DALLAS, Feb. 20, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- AT&T* has gone all in with solution providers serving business customers. The company today announced a new program and organization to help solution providers attract new customers, grow sales and innovate in collaboration with AT&T.

AT&T expects the new program, AT&T Partner Exchange, to expand and enhance current relationships with over 700 solution providers, to attract new ones, and to pursue billions of dollars in revenue opportunities.

The targeted solution providers are information technology (IT) consulting and services experts who create and deliver complete solutions to businesses by combining the technologies and products of disparate vendors with industry-specific know-how.

AT&T is opening up its application programming interfaces (APIs) to allow solution providers to develop their own customized solutions for a differentiated experience. Participating solution providers can gain visibility into certain AT&T systems, processes, and tools and innovate with AT&T to deliver customized, finished solutions to business customers.

Today's announcement marks AT&T's commitment to accelerate its delivery of mobility managed services, cloud and networking solutions to the tens of thousands of businesses that rely primarily on solution providers to meet their IT needs. AT&T Partner Exchange will allow solution providers to develop customized solutions that fully integrate with AT&T's IP network.

"We're throwing open the doors to our center of innovation - the AT&T Foundry® and inviting solution providers to work directly with us to create more choices for business customers," said Brooks McCorcle, president of AT&T's new Emerging Business Markets organization. The organization was established within AT&T Business Solutions.

"Through this new approach and collaboration with solution providers, we expect to rapidly expand our market reach and deliver more tailor-made cloud, mobility managed services and networking solutions to companies across a number of industries," she added.

Emerging Business Markets is the first organization to emerge from the AT&T Foundry®, applying innovation principles such as agility, adaptability and collaboration. 

AT&T is working closely with agile and innovative solution providers to provide feedback, and test and refine the program's processes.

"AT&T is doing business differently, by creating a compelling program that makes it easier for solution providers to do business with them and enables us to own the business customer relationship," said Bruce Flitcroft, CEO and Founder of Alliant Technologies. "They have simplified processes to fully enable channel partners to deliver a better customer experience."

AT&T Partner Exchange Benefits for Solution Providers

• Ability to bundle solutions from one of the leading worldwide providers of IP-based communications to businesses, including cloud solutions, mobility managed services and virtual private networking services 
• Business growth with a new recurring revenue stream for AT&T and solution providers
• Attractive financial rewards such as market development funds and a simple, straightforward rate structure
• Easy-to-use portal with resources, tools and visibility into certain AT&T systems – automated and customized support structure that provides cost efficiencies 
• Ability to customize solutions and client experience with open APIs
• Speed to market: emphasis on ordering, delivery and support
• Robust 360° support and access to a dedicated account team, 24x7 online ticketing, live chat and more

For further information, please go to AT&T Partner Exchange.  

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
Information set forth in this press release contains financial estimates and other forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results might differ materially. A discussion of factors that may affect future results is contained in AT&T's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. AT&T disclaims any obligation to update and revise statements contained in this news release based on new information or otherwise.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company and one of the most honored companies in the world. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and internationally. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's largest 4G network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile Internet, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries.  It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse^® and AT&T │DIRECTV brands. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world.

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SOURCE AT&T Inc.