AT&T WINS $3 MILLION NETWORKING CONTRACT FROM GATES CORP.
DENVER, SEPT. 26, 2005 – Gates Corp., a leading designer and manufacturer of belts and hose products for customers in the industrial and automotive markets, has awarded AT&T a $3 million contract for networking services in the United States. The three-year contract extends and expands an existing agreement.
The contract calls for AT&T to provide an Internet Protocol Virtual Private Network (IP VPN) solution, which combines voice and data on an integrated network. By efficiently and cost-effectively linking 90 of Gates’ locations in 22 countries in North America, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia, AT&T’s solution makes it possible for Gates to implement its Strategic Collaboration Initiative.
“By increasing bandwidth on a reliable global platform, AT&T is helping us achieve our strategy of providing employees around the world with a standardized, simplified and easy to access suite of tools to facilitate collaboration,” said Norm Thiele, chief information officer for Gates. “By connecting people for better business, we are improving speed to market, quality and customer service.”
AT&T’s integrated solution significantly increases network access speeds, improving the ability of Gates personnel to collaborate in real-time. The contract also includes video and audio conferencing, domestic and international long-distance, as well as toll-free services.
Gates can monitor the performance of its network and applications through the secure AT&T customer portal, AT&T BusinessDirect®, which provides operational efficiencies including around-the-clock online access to real-time reports on network performance and direct connection to trouble management systems.
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About Gates Corporation
Gates Corporation is the largest non-tire rubber manufacturer of automotive and industrial products, systems and components in North America. Gates maintains sales and marketing operations in every major automotive market, including North America, Europe, Asia, Australia and South America. Gates is part of the Industrial and Automotive Group of Tomkins plc. Headquartered in London, Tomkins is a publicly traded company (FTSE and NYSE) with 40,000 employees worldwide.
About AT&T
For more than 125 years, AT&T (NYSE "T", www.att.com) has been known for unparalleled quality and reliability in communications. Backed by the research and development capabilities of AT&T Labs, the company is a global leader in local, long distance, Internet and transaction-based voice and data services.