AT&T has
announced a two-year contract for worldwide communications services
for Global Hyatt CorpThe
contract positions AT&T as the key strategic communications and networking
services supplier of Global Hyatt and expands a long-standing relationship
between the two companies.
  Under terms of the agreement, AT&T will deploy an Internet Protocol
(IP)-enabled wide area network (WAN) that will integrate nearly 300 Hyatt
locations across 43 countries in North America, Latin America, Europe, the
Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific with an array of voice, data and
managed Internet services.
  AT&T’s global networking solution will enable Hyatt to implement
collaborative business applications that will enhance communications across
the company, speed customer service and reduce costs. The solution will
also support Hyatt’s need for secure, reliable and global network services.
  AT&T’s network, based on Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS)
technology, will provide a standardized technology infrastructure that will
enable Hyatt to integrate disparate networks, applications and devices and
evolve to a single streamlined communications platform based on IP with
consistent standards and capabilities. The AT&T solution, provided under a
Virtual Telecommunications Network Service (VTNS) contract, offers
discounts across all services and enables Hyatt to simplify its
telecommunications billing and overall network architecture. In addition,
AT&T will provide managed telecommunications help desk services, toll-free
services and call center solutions. “AT&T’s solution offered us cost
control, greater operating efficiency and innovative technology to enhance
the efficiency of our hotels,” said Jim Lamb, senior vice president,
Information Technology, Global Hyatt Corp. “With AT&T, we can capitalize on
a communications infrastructure that will serve our needs now, accommodate
our ever-growing technology requirements and position us to deliver a host
of new, exciting services in the future.” “Through the secure AT&T
BusinessDirect portal, Hyatt has around-the-clock access to real-time
information about the performance of its network services and a direct
connection to electronic billing and ordering systems.”
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