AT&T Announces IP Gateway Services and Launches AT&T WorldNet-R Enhanced Fax Service.

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 11, 1998--

Business Editors

First-Ever IP Fax Service Network Availability Guarantee

AT&T today announced at Internet World Spring the next step in its strategy to become the leading provider of business-quality Internet Protocol (IP) solutions. The company unveiled AT&T IP gateway services, which provide IP connectivity to AT&T's value-added messaging services. The company also launched AT&T WorldNet Enhanced Fax Service with the industry's first network availability guarantee.

AT&T is creating a new level of business services by combining its experience and strength in data networking and value-added messaging to provide customers with IP services that allow them to make the most of IP technology and the most of their existing network infrastructures and investments.

"More than anything, customers are telling us they want parity for their IP network services," said Kathleen Earley, vice president, AT&T Networked Commerce Services. "They want the same levels of service they get from voice and data networks. Step by step, we're offering customers IP solutions that provide the quality of service, security, and guaranteed reliability they need to support mission-critical applications."

AT&T IP gateway services will connect customers using LAN-based and browser-based e-mail systems to AT&T's robust set of value-added messaging services via AT&T dedicated and dial-up access services. By adding IP connectivity, AT&T is combining the security and guaranteed reliability of its IP backbone with seamless access to global, business-quality messaging.

In its first foray into the value-added IP messaging services market, AT&T will offer IP-based fax service with a network availability guarantee of 99.5 percent. If the AT&T IP fax service network availability falls below 99.5 percent in any month and the customer reports the outage, AT&T will credit the customer's account the monthly service fee of $49.95 (some restrictions apply).

AT&T IP Gateway Services

With AT&T IP gateway services customers can easily integrate their legacy and IP-based business applications with AT&T's value-added messaging services. Connectivity to these services for customers using SMTP, UUCP and X.400 mail systems is provided via AT&T's IP access services, including AT&T WorldNet(R) Managed Internet Service (MIS), AT&T WorldNet(R) Business Dial and AT&T Frame Relay Service.

Businesses will be able to use the AT&T Domain Name System (DNS) Service, which allows customers to choose their preferred network and e-mail address name, and File Transfer Protocol (FTP) capabilities that support large-scale file handling and transmission. They also have access to user-address aliasing of complex, proprietary e-mail addresses into simpler addresses, such as [e-mail].

"Whether it's different communications protocols, different messaging protocols or different delivery end-points -- such as e-mail, fax, Telex, pager, EDI and paper -- when it comes to value-added messaging, AT&T has never met an end-point we didn't like," said Earley. "Now, as our customers include IP technology in their networking mix, we will continue to support their need to seamlessly reach business partners and remote employees regardless of e-mail system, communications protocol or location." -0-

Additional capabilities of AT&T IP gateway services include:

- Worldwide Delivery: Using delivery options, such as MailFAX, Telex and AT&T Mail, messages can be sent to 280 countries and territories. Recipients can be on AT&T Mail, LAN-, midrange- and host-based systems, X.400 networks and other public messaging services, and the Internet.

- Security and Reliability: Messages are sent via AT&T WorldNet MIS, AT&T WorldNet Business Dial and AT&T Frame Relay Service on the AT&T IP backbone, which is designed with a total network availability of 99.5 percent. The AT&T IP backbone has robust security features that enable businesses to protect their mission-critical communications.

- Accountability: All messages sent via AT&T Mail are assigned a log number and can be identified and tracked by address, subject, date, message length and status. Detailed billing reports also are available by individual user.

- Browser Interface: For single-user environments, AT&T is offering browser plug-in software that works with most Internet browsers, such as Netscape Navigator(TM) and Microsoft Internet Explorer, and e-mail client software, including Netscape Messenger software and Eudora Pro software. The plug-in software connects to AT&T messaging services via AT&T's IP backbone using AT&T WorldNet Business Dial. The AT&T-provided software is scheduled to be available to customers in the second quarter 1998.

AT&T WorldNet(R) Enhanced Fax Service

AT&T WorldNet Enhanced Fax Service provides LAN-to-fax capability via the AT&T IP backbone. The service, currently in controlled introduction, is available to customers using AT&T WorldNet MIS and many of the popular LAN e-mail systems, such as Microsoft(R) Exchange, Lotus Notes, Lotus cc:Mail and Novell Groupwise software. Access via AT&T Frame Relay Service is scheduled to be available in second quarter 1998.

Using AT&T-provided fax service software, AT&T will give businesses a way to seamlessly convert LAN-based e-mail messages into fax formats and send them to fax destinations worldwide.

For the first time, customers using a network-based IP fax service will be able to send up to 250 file formats, such as Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel files, to fax destinations from their native e-mail systems without needing to install any special end-user software.

In addition to the network availability guarantee, the offer includes a robust set of capabilities for handling fax transactions, including the ability to simultaneously broadcast faxes to multiple destinations, delivery/non-delivery notification, high resolution support, and automatic retry. Detailed usage reports, including message date, size, destination and cost of the transaction listed by individual LAN system user, allow customers to easily track transactions and expenses.

Support for service interruptions is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Customer support for registration, installation and other non-service disruption issues is available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST, weekdays.

Pricing

This business-quality fax service costs 19 cents per page within the U.S. for successfully delivered faxes. Pricing for service to international locations also is billed at flat, per-page rates, depending on the destination. AT&T WorldNet Enhanced Fax Service delivers faxes worldwide. Customers also pay a $49.95 monthly fee for service and a one-time service establishment fee of $595.

AT&T is the world's premier voice and data communications company, serving more than 90 million business, consumer, and government customers. With annual revenues of more than $51 billion and some 126,000 employees, AT&T provides services to more than 280 countries and territories around the world.

The company runs the world's largest, most powerful long-distance network and the largest digital 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. AT&T also provides outsourcing, consulting and networking-integration services to large businesses. And the company offers outbound local calling to businesses in 49 states and remains committed, as conditions permit, to delivering local telephone service to consumers.

For more information, customers can visit the AT&T Web site at www.att.com or www.att.net/worldnet or call AT&T at 1-800-242-6005. -0-

Note to Editors: AT&T and AT&T WorldNet are registered service marks of AT&T. Other marks herein are owned by their respective owners.

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