AT&T's Extranet Extras Extend Reach, Value of Extranets.

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 23, 1998--

AT&T IP EDI and Web to Fax Bring Mission Critical

Capabilities to IP Networking

Today at Internet Commerce Expo, AT&T launched a set of services, Extranet Extras, to enable companies to expand the reach and functionality of their extranets.

"Our customers are telling us they often need to reach out beyond their usual trading partners to engage in dynamic electronic commerce opportunities," said Robert F. Jones, AT&T Electronic Commerce vice president. "They also want to add more value to their extranets by network-enabling mission critical functions like purchasing and inventory management. AT&T's Extranet Extras help companies manage the complexity of e-commerce communications," Jones added.

Extranet Extras available now are AT&T IP EDI and the previously announced AT&T WorldNet(R) Enhanced Fax Service. A third Extranet Extras service, AT&T Web to Fax, will be in market trial this year.

AT&T IP EDI

This service enhances extranets by providing the ability to transmit EDI-formatted files globally via the AT&T IP backbone, for 30 to 50 percent less than pricing for traditional Value Added Networks (VANs).

Customers can deliver EDI messages to Internet destinations everywhere through network-enabled conversion of the messages to an e-mail format. EDI messages also can be sent to fax machines, with conversion to fax format performed by the network.

AT&T IP EDI helps businesses leverage the ubiquity of the Internet without giving up the security, reliability and network-management features of an EDI VAN. Those capabilities include message screening, tracking, logging and other management activities.

"AT&T IP EDI radically changes the entire VAN community as we have known it," said Stuart Sawabini, president of The APL Group, Inc., a long-time provider of electronic commerce solutions and services. "Now businesses interested in becoming EDI capable will be able to receive the cost-savings benefit associated with Internet technology without losing the reliability that value added networks inherently provide."

AT&T WorldNet Enhanced Fax Service

Another Extranet Extra is AT&T WorldNet Enhanced Fax Service, an IP-based service with a network availability guarantee of 99.5 percent. The service gives businesses a way to seamlessly convert LAN-based e-mail messages into fax formats and send them to fax destinations worldwide.

The service expands the reach of LAN-based extranet users, allowing them to communicate as needed with vendors, suppliers and other trading partners. It enables customers to send up to 250 file formats, such as Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel files, to fax destination from their native e-mail systems without needing to install any special end-user software or hardware.

AT&T WorldNet Enhanced Fax Service received the 1998 "Analyst's Choice" award from Davidson Consulting for "Most Innovative Internet Fax/Product Service."

AT&T Web to Fax Service

Any member of an extranet community, using any Internet Service Provider, will have global access to this service from their desktop, via a web browser. Designed for use by organizations of any size, AT&T Web to Fax Service will deliver text and a wide range of graphic files to any fax machine in the world.

The service also will be capable of broadcasting fax messages to up to 20,000 locations. Delivery will be attempted for anywhere from one to 72 hours, at the customer's option. AT&T Web to Fax Service will be able to store 50 lists of up to 20,000 fax numbers per list. It will give customers the ability to easily manage their lists and to track and trace delivery, right from the Web site.

"With these new Extranet Extras, and others to come, we're continuing on the path of helping businesses of all sizes take full advantage of the benefits and cost savings that IP technology can provide," Jones said.

About AT&T

AT&T is the world's premier voice and data communications company, serving more than 80 million customers, including consumers, businesses and government. With annual revenues of more than $51 billion and 119,000 employees, AT&T provides services to more than 280 countries and territories around the world. AT&T runs the world's largest, most powerful long-distance network and the largest wireless network in North America. The company is a leading supplier of data and Internet services for businesses and the nation's largest direct Internet service provider to consumers.