Accenture and AT&T Team to Provide Managed Messaging Solutions to Businesses and Government Agencies
NEW YORK and BEDMINSTER, N.J.; May 24, 2004 – Accenture and AT&T today announced that the two companies have formed an alliance to market and deliver managed messaging solutions on a global basis to large and medium enterprises and U.S. government agencies. The offering, Enterprise Messaging Service, is designed to significantly reduce the total cost of ownership of an organization’s E-mail and other messaging platforms.
The Enterprise Messaging Service includes hosted messaging services based on the latest Microsoft Exchange Server platform and provides a foundation for future optional, advanced capabilities such as enterprise-class secure instant messaging and unified communications. By using these services, enterprise and government customers can continue to enjoy the same functionality but with AT&T and Accenture managing and administering the service on their behalf. Customers also gain the benefit of receiving the latest versions of software and security upgrades automatically.
The new service combines the strengths of two of the world’s largest and most experienced technology service providers, bringing together Accenture’s technology integration capabilities with AT&T’s hosting and networking integration expertise. The offering builds on AT&T’s growing portfolio of application networking services by working with best-in-class providers like Accenture to make it easier for customers to deploy and manage critical business applications securely and reliably.
Andy Efstathiou, Technology Management Strategies Program Manager at Yankee Group said; "Being able to access a full suite of communications solutions combined into a single offer, with a single point of contact is good news for most busy IT departments. By outsourcing Exchange Messaging, enterprises will be able to deliver a lower total cost of ownership and continue to use the Microsoft Exchange platform which is used widely by enterprises today."
"Accenture is highly experienced in the delivery of messaging solutions, having recently completed its own conversion of mailboxes," said Bill Gourgey, a partner in Accenture’s Communications & High Tech operating group. "AT&T is one of the largest managed service providers in the world, offering one of the highest levels of security for hosted applications."
AT&T and Accenture’s Enterprise Messaging Service provides access to the latest messaging technologies and an efficient means for managing messaging applications for large numbers of geographically dispersed employees. AT&T and Accenture will provide an integrated messaging solution which includes management, monitoring, infrastructure, and network services, helping our customers derive the maximum value from their IT investment.
"By forming strategic alliances with industry-leading providers, such as Accenture, we can offer our customers one-stop shopping for their complex application networking needs," said Eric Shepcaro, AT&T Vice President of Emerging Services. "Our combined offering is specifically designed to allow customers’ internal IT departments to focus on more strategic initiatives."
About AT&T
For more than 125 years, AT&T (T) 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.
About Accenture
Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company. Committed to delivering innovation, Accenture collaborates with its clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. With deep industry and business process expertise, broad global resources and a proven track record, Accenture can mobilize the right people, skills, and technologies to help clients improve their performance. With approximately 90,000 people in 48 countries, the company generated net revenues of US$11.8 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2003. Its home page is www.accenture.com.
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Alex Pachetti
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Miranda Duff
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