New AT&T Frame Relay Service Options Give Customers More Network-Planning, Reporting Tools for Greater Control.

BASKING RIDGE, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 19, 1998--AT&T unveiled today further enhancements to its service-level-management capabilities for frame relay service with a new service option called Frame Relay Plus. AT&T Solutions also introduced a similar option, an offering called WAN Performance View, for customers of its Managed Network Solutions service line.

AT&T's Frame Relay Plus Service provides installation and maintenance of Visual Networks(R)' ASE Channel Service Unit/Data Service Unit (CSU/DSUs) on customers' premises, end-to-end monitoring extended to the CSU/DSU interface and three levels of service businesses select depending on their needs.

In addition, Frame Relay Plus uniquely integrates the end-to-end diagnostic capabilities of CSU/DSUs into AT&T's maintenance processes, allowing faster problem detection and correction.

Among the customer selectable service levels, AT&T will provide easy, Web-based access to network-planning and performance data captured by the Visual Networks' CSU/DSU. This ensures that all customers -- large and small -- can gain access to this data without having to purchase additional network-management equipment for their premises.

"Frame Relay Plus shows we're strongly committed to providing customers with powerful service-level-management tools and putting them within reach of any business," said Steve Hindman, marketing director for AT&T's high-speed data services.

The Frame Relay Plus offer has service options at three levels:

Level 1 - CSU/DSU Provisioning and Maintenance: This option provides Visual Networks' Analysis Service Element (ASE) CSU/DSU connected to AT&T's Network Management Center via a PVC (permanent virtual circuit), allowing end-to-end monitoring 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Customers are quickly notified of problems, while AT&T goes to work resolving the trouble.

Level 2 - Network Planning and Performance Reporting: An enhancement to Level 1 service, this option adds reports on the performance of the customer's network, built with daily updates of CSU/DSU data in AT&T's Performance Database. Historical reports on information such as network protocol activity down to the PVC level, access line performance, burst analysis and most active channels can be accessed securely through the web for customer convenience - all of great value in supporting businesses' network-planning needs.

Level 3 - Troubleshooting and Real-Time Support: In addition to features in the first two options, Level 3 delivers to customers the same near real-time access to CSU/DSU data used by AT&T maintenance technicians. Special software on a PC platform connected to the AT&T Network Management Center provides a live graphical view of a customer's network, permitting troubleshooting of WAN problems to protocol or user device levels. This level of service requires an additional management PVC from one customer location to AT&T's Network Management Center.

AT&T WAN Performance View

AT&T also introduced today WAN Performance View, a new option for AT&T Managed Network Solutions (MNS) Managed Router customers, which gives them the benefits of Visual Networks' performance-monitoring tools. The option is offered in conjunction with AT&T's standard frame relay service to provide a comprehensive view of the performance characteristics of AT&T wide area network services.

"WAN Performance View delivers all of the value-added performance-monitoring features available with Frame Relay Plus to customers looking for a complete, turnkey MNS solution," said AT&T Solutions Vice President Ed Nalbandian, who has responsibility for MNS.

"This means customers can choose from a continuum of AT&T offerings, ranging from our standard frame relay service, to the new AT&T Frame Relay Plus to a complete managed WAN capability from AT&T Solutions," Nalbandian said.

AT&T Solutions will provide, maintain and manage the complete WAN Performance View solution, including the performance database, the reporting server and data-collection devices. The offer has two separately priced options:

-- Web access to on-demand performance reporting.

-- Real-time views of the network for performance monitoring and

troubleshooting.

AT&T Frame Relay Plus is available now. WAN Performance View will be generally available as a feature of MNS Managed Router Solution in the third quarter of this year. For more information, business customers should contact their AT&T account executives or call 1-800-248-3632.

CONTACT: AT&T

Patricia Sieh, 908/658-6832 office

[e-mail]

or

AT&T

David Thompson, 908/221-4178 office

[e-mail]