DALLAS, TX /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Building on its global IP network, wireless resources, network integration, consulting and managed service expertise, AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) announced three new sensor-based networking solutions that enable businesses to track a wide array of valuable resources in real time, including:
AT&T Mobile Resource Management
AT&T RFID Asset Visibility
AT&T managed passive RFID solution
The new AT&T services are designed for use by businesses, government agencies and organizations of nearly any size, enabling the real-time tracking and sensor analysis of a wide range of potential assets, including inventory, healthcare assets, product in transit, fleets or field force personnel. The solutions, available today nationwide in the U.S., allow customers to take advantage of the business benefits of sensor-based networking without substantial investments in equipment or in-house expertise.
"For a wide range of businesses and organizations, tracking and management of key assets is a fundamental challenge," said Susan Johnson, senior vice president of Business Development at AT&T. "With our IP network, extensive wireless capabilities, and wide managed services expertise, AT&T is uniquely positioned to deliver this new portfolio of sensor-based networking services, offering new opportunities for our customers to better manage assets, track inventory, maximize field and sales forces and get near real-time reports on all of these operational areas."
AT&T Mobile Resource Management is a nationwide, location-based service that uses Global Positioning Service (GPS) technology and specialized, hosted managed applications powered by the AT&T nationwide wireless data network to enable customers to track company vehicles, monitor their speed and condition while on the road, and report on location and condition of company products and inventory. The fully-hosted and managed Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) solution is designed to enable customers to more efficiently and effectively manage fleet assets and field forces.
AT&T Mobile Resource Management is designed for an organization's better fleet and field force management. It allows more effective management and dispatching of fleet vehicles and enable a company to more productively utilize a field force spread out among remote locations, and reduce fuel and labor costs. Additionally, AT&T Mobile Resource Management capabilities can be integrated into driver safety programs, enabling additional risk management opportunities for a company. The application is hosted in the 32 world class AT&T data centers, and the end-to-end solution includes the management of the in-vehicle device, the AT&T wireless network and the AT&T hosted application. The service also allows field force to establish a mobile hot-spot from individual vehicles, enabling Wi-Fi connections for laptops or handheld devices while working in the field.
AT&T, which is currently using its AT&T Mobile Resource Management, began using the technology in 2004 in 35,000 vehicles in its own fleet. Since deploying the solution, the company experienced significant improvements in field force efficiency and cost reduction.
AT&T RFID Asset Visibility is a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) solution that enables the automatic collection, display and analysis of information on location of a business asset in real time, accurate to the individual item. Combining the power of active RFID technology, location- based software, and Wi-Fi LAN networking, AT&T RFID Asset Visibility is targeted at environments that are investing in wireless campus LANs and need to improve the utilization and management of critical assets within that environment. The solution is ideal for customers such as health care centers that need real-time location information for crash carts, wheelchairs or patients.
Designed primarily to improve asset visibility in unstructured physical environments, AT&T RFID Asset Visibility uses active RFID tags to provide a window of real-time information by automating the collection of critical data, including product locations and time. The solution delivers precise tracking and tracing, which in turn drives more informed business decision-making, faster identification of product location, more effective service delivery, supply chain management, and other key functions.
AT&T RFID Asset Visibility leverages the AT&T wireless unit, AT&T wide area data networking and AT&T Hosting and AT&T Consulting and Integration Solutions. They were developed through a combination of internal capabilities and technology and equipment from its ecosystem of RFID enablers.
Additionally, AT&T is offering a managed passive RFID service on a customizable basis that enables customers to monitor the locations of entire shipments or individual packages within a shipment -- by the pallet, the bundle or the specific item. This end-to-end solution includes professional services to design and deploy the environment, managed RFID devices and a hosted EPCglobal database and analytics for inventory in movement for RFID transactions.
The AT&T managed passive RFID service successfully concluded its trial phase at the end of 2006. Based on the trial results, AT&T determined that a hosted, managed RFID solution provided unique customer value, reduced complexity and made implementation easier, reduced time-to-market for customers and lower costs. With the addition of an active RFID product, fleet and field force solutions, AT&T is now able to provide cost-effective and easily deployed productivity tools for a full range of asset tracking needs -- regardless of whether an asset is inside a hospital, a factory, a store, or moving on the open road.
All three solutions are a continuation of the company's strategy to deliver a range of RFID and sensor-based network solutions, and another example of how the company is delivering converged, IP-based applications and services that enable users to access content, applications and information virtually anytime, anywhere, and using any device. The new services advance an AT&T RFID initiative launched in May 2006, when the company began conducting technical and customer trials.
About AT&T
AT&T Inc. is a premier communications holding company in the United States and around the world, with operating subsidiaries providing services under the AT&T brand. AT&T is the recognized world leader in providing IP-based communications services to businesses and the U.S. leader in providing wireless, high speed Internet access, local and long distance voice, and directory publishing and advertising through its Yellow Pages and YELLOWPAGES.COM organizations. As part of its three-screen integration strategy, AT&T is expanding video entertainment offerings to include such next-generation television services as AT&T U-verse TV. Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at the company's Web site.
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CONTACT: Blair Klein, AT&T Inc., +1-847-248-4343 Office, or +1-312-320-6502 Mobile, or [email protected].