BEDMINSTER, N.J., Dec. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AT&T Inc. today announced that large enterprise and wholesale customers around the world can access select features of its award-winning AT&T BusinessDirect(R) customer portal from any mobile device, providing "anytime, anywhere" maintenance and performance-monitoring of networks that carry critical data and applications. AT&T is the first and only carrier to empower network managers to maintain the performance and security of their networks while on the go.
AT&T BusinessDirect users are now able to access the portal's eMaintenance application allowing customers to request network maintenance and remotely monitor the network maintenance process from beginning to end. For the first time, network administrators can help maintain optimal performance of corporate networks via their mobile device while juggling offsite meetings or unexpected travel that prevents them from handling tasks they would otherwise oversee from the office. The service can be accessed by any mobile device on the market today, as long as the device is wireless Internet-enabled.
"We've answered the call from our business customers around the world who, because of expanding responsibilities and frequent travel, need remote access to some of the most powerful AT&T BusinessDirect features, to help keep their business networks up and running at all times," said Robert Sloan, vice president, eSales and Service, AT&T. "We've worked very hard and are extremely proud of the industry leadership status that the AT&T BusinessDirect portal has achieved, and we look forward to taking AT&T BusinessDirect to the next level," he said.
AT&T BusinessDirect users are able to access the portal from more than 90 countries and receive technical support from dedicated AT&T BusinessDirect experts in eight countries on four continents. Mobile availability for additional AT&T BusinessDirect features is planned for the future.
AT&T surveyed its large enterprise customers to determine which features were most critical for them to access on the go. Customers responded with overwhelming support for mobile eMaintenance because of its unmatched ability to help keep revenue-generating networks and applications performing optimally at all times. Customers also noted that the expanded mobile capabilities added significant value to network management and billing update e-mail alerts that AT&T has long provided to customers via their mobile devices.
"As head of IT for a growing international engineering and manufacturing company with locations around the world, I frequently travel to different offices to ensure that our IT and networking technology supports ITT's renowned standards for customer care," said Anders Ingelstrom, manager, NMC-EMEA, ITT Corporation. "AT&T's BusinessDirect portal has long been a valuable tool for me to self-manage our network, and the new mobile capabilities allow me to handle important tasks such as creating tickets, while away from the office."
The new mobile capabilities of AT&T BusinessDirect come at a time when businesses, large and small, are embracing workforce mobility. With an increasingly mobile and geographically dispersed workforce, mobile devices are now considered a key component of the connected enterprise.
Leading analyst firm Yankee Group, long a staunch supporter of AT&T BusinessDirect rating AT&T "superior" on key self-service functions such as ordering, maintenance, billing and network management, believes that the timing for mobile availability of key features is now.
"We believe that the market need for mobile customer portals will grow quickly in the next several years as more enterprises embrace the 'mobile workforce,'" said Paul Hughes, vice president, Enabling Technologies Service Providers, Yankee Group. "AT&T will enjoy a distinct advantage because of the market leadership position that AT&T BusinessDirect has enjoyed these past few years."
Designed to mirror the renowned Web portal user experience, the mobile capabilities on AT&T BusinessDirect can provide advanced efficiency and cost-savings benefits. The eMaintenance tool significantly reduces errors by relying on drop-down menus and inventory listings, convenient for network managers that need to access information from the tiny keypads of portable devices. The eMaintenance tool enables users to remotely launch sophisticated circuit-testing that can quickly isolate and contain network problems such as viruses or worms, to defend revenue-generating applications such as e-commerce platforms from attack.
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About AT&T
AT&T Inc. is one of the world's largest telecommunications holding companies and is the largest in the United States. Operating globally under the AT&T brand, AT&T companies are recognized as the leading worldwide providers of IP-based communications services to business and as leading U.S. providers of high speed DSL Internet, local and long distance voice, and directory publishing and advertising services. AT&T Inc. holds a 60 percent ownership interest in Cingular Wireless, which is the No. 1 U.S. wireless services provider with 58.7 million wireless customers. Additional information about AT&T Inc. and AT&T products and services is available at http://www.att.com/ .
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