AT&T Establishes Elite Solution Provider Program and Launches Certification Program - Brief Article

Information Superhighways Newsletter, May, 2001

AT&T announced the creation of an elite tier in its alternate channel program, called the Solution Provider Program.

These solution providers will be among the first of AT&T's 1,200 channel members to participate in the company's new data and Internet protocol (IP) certification program.

The Solution Provider Program targets organizations with a national footprint or vertical industry focus, and a broad set of expertise and value-added services, such as wide area networking professional services, systems design, applications and network integration, and life-cycle management. As part of AT&T's award-winning Alliance Channel Program, solution providers will market the company's full suite of data, IP, hosting, and virtual private network services.

Under this new program, solution providers will be able to:

- Earn 20 to 30 percent more in commission and bonuses;

- Increase their revenue opportunity;

- Receive dedicated AT&T pre- and post-sales support;

- Participate in a comprehensive certification program; and

- Use specially designed marketing tools, including a Solution Provider logo that designates them as members of this elite tier.

Alliance channel members use AT&T's reliable, scalable, high-performing networking infrastructure as the foundation for building complex applications, such as customer relationship management, supply chain management, enterprise resource planning and e-commerce, for small businesses to large, multinational enterprises.

They package their unique services and expertise with AT&T's data, IP and hosting services, including:

- Access services, such as AT&T managed Internet service and AT&T IP VPN service;

- Data networking solutions, such as AT&T frame relay service and AT&T ATM service;

- AT&T dedicated hosting services, from co-location to fully managed hosting and storage services; and

- Security services such as AT&T managed firewall service.

AT&T has initially offered the Solution Provider Program to a select number of existing authorized agents. Fourteen companies have signed up for the program. Available to all authorized agents in the Alliance Channel Program, AT&T data and IP certification is a prerequisite to qualify for the Solution Provider Program.

To receive certification, channel members must have at least two people who have successfully completed an extensive curriculum during a six-month period. The certification courses provide in-depth analysis and education on data, IP, enterprise networking, hosting, and e-commerce.

AT&T's Alliance Program also is leveraging its strategic relationships with companies, such as Cisco Systems Inc., Hewlett-Packard, IBM, and Sun Microsystems Corp., by integrating their education curriculum into the Alliance Program's training courses.

The certification program expands on the existing education curriculum offered through the World-Class Campus, the AT&T Alliance Channel's on-line university launched in October 2000.