AT & T Organizational Structure
Abstract
The research work on AT&T suggests that the company future depends on providing an extensive variety of communication and information technology services from industry-leading networks, to cloud based services, to mobile markets and entertainment sectors. These services are expected to be provided to millions of consumers around the world. In vibrant global market, creations and innovations are the forces that lead to sustainable growth. This research paper goes over how AT&T fulfills their mission to empower a pool of talented people to stimulate and resolve real-world problems with advanced technology. Cloud services have recently become one of the most popular topics in the tech industry. It is a new area of development with unlimited …show more content…
amount of growth. AT&T has identified this opportunity and has started to develop its own system. AT&T is extending its influence and building its reputation not only as a global network provider but also as a first class cloud service provider among the public and the business world. Introduction AT&T has moved far beyond the days of Bell Labs, the Communications giant is further expanding and trying to keep the spirit alive. AT&T strive to deliver the future first, innovation is continuous process to ensure the company is much a head of Competitors. By taking intelligent risks the company learns what works and what will make customer happy. AT&T pursues what no one had done before. Other major value factor is to maintain strong customer relationship by understanding the needs of customer and deliver them at right time. Company ensures all the employees make right decisions to satisfy the customer and thus build up the company value. With the best technology company solves all the problems and simplifies things. AT&T encourages customers to use the technology safe, sound and strongly. The company invests huge amounts in training and updating employee knowledge. Before it lunch any technology to Customer Company ensure proper training is given to the employee to handle issue rising out of the technology.
At AT&T Company ensure things are done right, talk straight, and follow through till the end task is achieved. Another core value of the company is to safeguard the information related to customer. AT&T is world's largest communications companies operational in over 182 countries. The company is world's largest and highly advanced networking system, transport 56.2 petabytes of data interchange on an average business day covering all the continents. AT&T wireless serve millions of clients and allow them to travel and commute flawlessly with world class wireless technology coverage. AT&T offer voice coverage in 225 countries, data roaming in 220 countries with 3G in more than 175 countries. The company is constantly providing innovative, reliable, high quality goods and services and excellent customer services. AT&T’s mission is to connect all the inhabitants with their globe, all over the place they live and work. The company achieves its vision by pioneering solutions for the clients and the business by motivating improvement in the communication and entertainment industries. The company's range of services is most full-bodied in the industry. Company delivers choice, worth and eases across a range of options. The pricing of the company truly attract customer to choose single bill for wired and wireless voice, data, broadband internet, TV and messaging services. The next most important innovation is the three screen strategy to the customers. AT&T recently announced launch of innovative technology tracking the missing luggage, smart phone with a mike, and data safeguarding systems. These innovations to be a revolution in the communication and entertainment industry.
Company Background
In 1875 Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, launching the world's first telecommunications company, using the Bell System, which is the very roots of what would become known as AT&T.
Alexander Graham Bell was working on inventing a "talking telegraph", which became known as the "telephone". Alexander Graham Bell had two partners, Gardiner Hubbard and Thomas Sanders, who financed Bell's work and Bell consequently earned patents in 1876 and 1877. Originally AT&T was known as the "American Telephone and Telegraph Corporation" and started the first telephone service in New Haven, Connecticut in 1878. From this point the company expanded to many major cities throughout America in three years with licenses under the name of American Bell Telephone Company. In 1882, American Bell purchased a controlling interest in a company that became its' manufacturing base, Western Electric Company. Gradually, American Bell began to take over the companies their products were licensed to, which created the great enterprise known as "the Bell System". In March 1885, the American Telephone and Telegraph Service was incorporated as a subsidiary of American Bell and began building the first telephone long distance network, with new telephone wire loading coils in 1899, from New York to San Francisco. This project required new inventions to boost signal strength which weakened over long distances in the telephone wires. In this way AT&T developed many new inventions that applied to …show more content…
later technologies, such as electrical amplifiers, which are still used on circuit boards today. The electric amplifier made it possible to create transcontinental telephone service by 1913.
As Bell's patents expired, there was a frenzy for other companies to get in on the telephone gold mine. As a result, over six thousand telephone companies formed, each using its' own wire network. The number of telephone lines expanded from 285,000 to over 3 million. So many new phone customers combined with heavy competition created new problems for the consumer. Most networks did not connect to other networks, meaning that people in the same town may not be able to call each other. It wasn't until 1913 that this problem was resolved.
In the early 1900's, AT&T's new ambition was to create a universal telephone network in the Unites States and also became the main supplier for telephone manufacturing and technology to the entire world. By 1925, AT&T opened its' first transatlantic telephone service using a two way radio and charged 75 US Dollars for 3 minutes. Hawaii got its' first radio-telephone service in 1931. Radio-telephone service opened to Tokyo in 1934. Radio telephone service was subject to interference and was limited in its' capacity. It was in 1956 that AT&T developed the first transatlantic submarine cable service, called TAT-1, and the first transpacific cable service opened in 1964.
AT&T's president in 1907, Theodore Vail, operated under the idea that telephone service was most efficient as a monopoly. Until this time AT&T's Bell System was functioning as a government sanctioned monopoly that was regulated by the US congress. In 1913 AT&T and the US government was in agreement with the principles of Theodore Vail and this agreement was known as the "Kingsbury Commitment". In this agreement AT&T agreed to let non-competing companies connect through the Bell System and let go of its' controlling interest in Western Union telegraph company. AT&T's network became the best telephone system in the world, but unfortunately came under investigation by the US Department of Justice and an anti-trust suit was filed against AT&T in 1949. In 1956 AT&T made a deal with the Justice Department to restrict its' activities to regulated telephone service and government contracted work.
Over the next few decades, by the 1960's, AT&T's Bell Telephone Laboratories had developed more advanced technologies, like alternatives to copper wires, a microwave relay system, to improve the quality of its long distance network. In 1962, AT&T's first commercial satellite, Telstar 1, further enhanced its international network and provided an alternative to submarine cable. By this time the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) opened the way for more competition in the long distance telephone market and also opened the way to challenge AT&T again through anti-trust laws. The anti-trust suit by the US government against AT&T started in 1974 and was finally settled in 1982. The result of this was that AT&T was separated into regional pieces where a natural monopoly on local telephone service existed. By January 1, 1984, the Bell System, as it was known, had died. AT&T transformed into being a new company struggling with many new competitors and great loss in market share. Up until the present day AT&T has remained a strong competitor and is a major player in the cell phone technology and service market.
AT&T (which stands for American Telephone & Telegraph Company) was actually founded by a man by the name of Mr. Alexander Graham Bell, after he invented, and received his patent for the telephone in the year of 1876. His original company’s name was the Bell Telephone Company. AT&T is now one of the biggest telephone services and communication service providers in the world. The AT&T Company provides services such as land line and cell phone services, Direct TV, and internet services in the United States and across the world in more than 200 countries and territories.
Company Culture
AT&T has a very friendly company culture. They believe in a wide range of diversity, and being multinational, multicultural, and multilingual, and they strive to provide their products and services in the languages that their customers prefer. They are constantly looking for new ways to help AT&T customers stay connected to the rest of the world by providing AT&T company products and services that are culturally relevant and at competitive prices. AT&T focuses their business marketing and advertising to represent the diversity of the local communities within the United States and the communities of their international customers as well. Currently they are conducting business in more than 160 languages. AT&T also concentrates on studying and understanding the differences of the cultures around the world. When they study the culture, they focus on simple people which means they try to analysis from the beginning to the end in order to fill up the needs of customers. And marketing is effectively to a diverse audience such as the disability segments, the U.S. Military, and the LBGT (Lesbian, Gay, and Transgender) community. Not only in US but also other countries AT&T tries to do the right action at the right time. The improvement comes up of the company in all different manners, the company keeping the audience with what is new. In currently time AT&T bought Cricket Company. When they buy cricket, they changed all features such as the advertising, stores, smartphones, and all other stuff. The Cricket Company used to have only 50 percent coverage in the United States but when AT&T got cricket, they really changed everything to better. Coverage in Cricket now 99% became the best company in the United States.
Strategic Planning
Customer service is the leading strategic priority of the AT&T Company, followed by improved productivity and an increased focus of their core competencies. The company is always trying to keep the eye for customers that means the company due survey all time monthly survey and decide what to offer for its audience. The company has power to control everything in all different sides, power to own new technology, to pay for training its employees in order to improve the company with every single element. Everything from serving customers more quickly and effectively to outsourcing non-core activities, these strategic priorities depend on their technology to be effective. Through a study that AT&T conducted by the Economists Intelligence Unit, they found that many of their company senior executives around the world, that the senior managers wanted to be able to have an unending flow of information inside and outside of their business, meaning they wanted to have more connectivity.
Some of the things they researched and improved on were; Openness, to enable customers, employees, and suppliers to have a more quick and more easy way to connect across different applications and networks and each other, Security and Smartness, which gives more data at higher speeds for greater efficiency, and better relationships between customers, employees and suppliers. They also focused more on efficiency by connecting multiple networks into one solid network which allowed for a much more efficient and easier ways to manage different types of data and voice which made a significant reduction of cost and complexity for everybody. Last but not least, reliability, calling for the future to be utterly stable.
Information System Technology
AT&T is a leader in the global networking industry. They are determined, focused on and committed to delivering IP (Information Protocols) based solutions for enterprise and governmental customers. AT&T also pivots away from traditional consumer services. The AT&T Company continues to offer customers, private, professional, and small and large businesses, and suppliers alternatives to the traditional services. AT&T technology systems are keeping daily operations and its products has the strengths that keep customers come time and again. The communication and the entertainment operations are changeable so the people interacted by the products when the world is renewed and love the eager. The company has many features such as Data integrations, data managements, data qualities, peach and language and understanding. AT&T is always keeping the communication to ensure the customers to stay safe
AT&T is known as the nation’s largest internet provider. They have over 34,000 AT&T Hot Spots at popular restaurants, hotels, and retailers in the United States, and offer over one million hot spots all over the world. They are a global leader of delivering end to end reliable and secure network, data, voice, and IP solutions to wholesale customers.
AT&T was the first company in the United States to offer an integrated Wireless Receiver that allows customers to watch TV in any room of their homes, even where there is no TV outlet. They offer their customers access to 4G LTE network speeds when traveling to select countries. AT&T is also the first and only carrier in the United States of America to have international LTE roaming, and they provide voice and data coverage to customers on more than 250 major cruise ships traveling around the world.
AT&T currently has many products and services that are targeted towards their international customers. The AT&T Company is also continuously seeking more ways to update these systems. They do this by providing voice coverage in more than 200 countries without losing your current number, and data access in more than 170 countries with their high speed EDGE network, AT&T business Global Traveler, the AT&T Navigator Global Edition, which offers customers GPS directions and convenient access of directions to their desired destinations for the countries they are currently in.
Cloud Storage System
Nowadays, as a result of cloud technology, people of all ages and all professions have intensely integrated into their lives the flexibility of anytime, anywhere access to personal and professional information through the cloud. Cloud storage has become ever more popular due to their flexible accessibility and uncapped limit of storage. It is a place that both individuals and companies accumulate and store everything from tax records to family photos. With the increasing number of smart phone users, there are more photos taken on mobile in this century than ever before. The creation of cloud storage services such as Dropbox, Box, Sky Drive, Google Drive and AT&T Locker offer customers the chance to easily store their data and access it from any devices.
Cloud storage is a tech industry term for managing data storage through an Internet-based hosted network.
Many types of cloud storage systems have been created to support both personal and professional purposes. In the case of personal use, the basic form of cloud storage allows individuals to upload files or folders of documents or photos from their personal computers to a central Internet server. The advantages of cloud storage for individuals are making backup copies of files in case their originals are lost, downloading the files to other devices and sharing files remotely through the internet. Cloud storage has the unique competence that allows users to access their data from anywhere on any devices. Furthermore, the majority of cloud storage providers offer the syncing ability that allows users to have the same data in multiple places and at the same time store those data up in the cloud. In the case of business use, enterprises often utilize cloud storage systems as a popular backup solution. Companies have cloud storage software that run constantly or at habitual intervals to securely transfer copies of files and data to a reputable third-party cloud servers. While personal data is commonly stored forever, business data is more likely to become outdated and backup systems include retention procedures generally consolidate and let go of useless data after a predefined time limit (Mitchell,
n.d.).
On November 2012, AT&T launched its cloud-based storage for photo and video sharing application called AT&T Locker. Users are offered 5GB of free storage which is measured up to 5000 average sized photos. AT&T offers storage space upgrades to 30GB for $3.99 per month or 100GB for $9.99 per month. According to AT&T official release letter, AT&T Locker provides users with the ability to upload images and videos to a secured online storage and share on Facebook, Twitter or email. Users have the options to create and customize albums for photos and videos on any mobile device with proper internet connection or online from a laptop. With Easy Upload Feature, users can automatically upload the photos on their mobile to the AT&T Cloud. Mark Collin, Senior Vice President, Data and Voice Products of AT&T Mobility said “Customers use smart phones to capture special moments in their lives. That’s why we designed AT&T Locker to help you store those memories” (Elyse, 2012).
AT&T Locker application’s strength is based on the company’s reputation. When a consumer is researching and choosing a cloud storage provider, AT&T stands out as a shining star in the industry due to its vast global network. According to AT&T Cloud Crowd Infographic, AT&T network carries more than 28.9 petabytes of data traffic on an average business day and includes more than 916,000 fiber route miles worldwide. AT&T provides services to millions of customers, including multinational companies on six continents and offers high speed Internet access to businesses in more than 50 countries. In addition, with 38 Internet Data Centers (IDCs) across four continents connected to the global IP network, AT&T offer first-class service level agreements that provide up to 99.999% availability of web services (AT&T Business, n.d.). The reputation and brand quality of AT&T have a large impact of consumers when choosing a cloud storage provider. Incidents such as frequent downtimes, loses or corrupts data are major concerns that are associated with cloud storage providers. With AT&T and their extensive network of expertise, users can count on them to offer the best of class service.
AT&T Locker application’s weakness lies in its restrictions. The application requires IPhone 3GS or higher, Android smart phones with OS 2.2 or higher, Android tablets with 4.0 or higher. Unlike Dropbox, AT&T Locker does not provide a desktop application so files and folder cannot be dragged in or out of the cloud storage as easily. Furthermore, AT&T Locker is exclusive for US-based subscribers only. This application is said to be downloaded and used only by customers of AT&T (Newman, 2012). According to Google Play Store, many customers are dissatisfied with the AT&T Locker because the app is readily installed on new Android phones without the option of removal.
Recommendations & Conclusion In order to expand its reputation and market share, AT&T should open its app to more devices without restrictions and even more important, made the app available for customers outside the United States. Perhaps since it is a new developed application, AT&T is launching only in the US to perfect the performance of the application. Since AT&T can preinstall the software on phones it sells, the company is taking a step ahead of persuading customers to use its own apps instead of Google’s. It is easy to understand that AT&T is using its mobile network and influence to market the application by pre-installing AT&T Locker. However, it is leading to some negative reviews of the application on the internet due to the inability of the users to uninstall the app. AT&T has transformed its architectural and operational network to compete in an ever changing information technology market. AT&T has taken some big steps toward building a secure and stable cloud services systems. With the vast existing network, AT&T has continuously increased the value provided to consumers and businesses. In order to pursue further this mission, AT&T is constructing small teams of industry experts in software development and systems analysis to model structure and to deliver components of the new network architecture.
The research work on AT&T suggests that the company future depends on providing an extensive variety of communication and information technology services from industry-leading networks, to cloud based services, to mobile markets and entertainment sectors. These services are expected to be provided to millions of consumers around the world. In vibrant global market, creations and innovations are the forces that lead to sustainable growth. This research paper goes over how AT&T fulfills their mission to empower a pool of talented people to stimulate and resolve real-world problems with advanced technology. Cloud services have recently become one of the most popular topics in the tech industry. It is a new area of development with unlimited …show more content…
amount of growth. AT&T has identified this opportunity and has started to develop its own system. AT&T is extending its influence and building its reputation not only as a global network provider but also as a first class cloud service provider among the public and the business world. Introduction AT&T has moved far beyond the days of Bell Labs, the Communications giant is further expanding and trying to keep the spirit alive. AT&T strive to deliver the future first, innovation is continuous process to ensure the company is much a head of Competitors. By taking intelligent risks the company learns what works and what will make customer happy. AT&T pursues what no one had done before. Other major value factor is to maintain strong customer relationship by understanding the needs of customer and deliver them at right time. Company ensures all the employees make right decisions to satisfy the customer and thus build up the company value. With the best technology company solves all the problems and simplifies things. AT&T encourages customers to use the technology safe, sound and strongly. The company invests huge amounts in training and updating employee knowledge. Before it lunch any technology to Customer Company ensure proper training is given to the employee to handle issue rising out of the technology.
At AT&T Company ensure things are done right, talk straight, and follow through till the end task is achieved. Another core value of the company is to safeguard the information related to customer. AT&T is world's largest communications companies operational in over 182 countries. The company is world's largest and highly advanced networking system, transport 56.2 petabytes of data interchange on an average business day covering all the continents. AT&T wireless serve millions of clients and allow them to travel and commute flawlessly with world class wireless technology coverage. AT&T offer voice coverage in 225 countries, data roaming in 220 countries with 3G in more than 175 countries. The company is constantly providing innovative, reliable, high quality goods and services and excellent customer services. AT&T’s mission is to connect all the inhabitants with their globe, all over the place they live and work. The company achieves its vision by pioneering solutions for the clients and the business by motivating improvement in the communication and entertainment industries. The company's range of services is most full-bodied in the industry. Company delivers choice, worth and eases across a range of options. The pricing of the company truly attract customer to choose single bill for wired and wireless voice, data, broadband internet, TV and messaging services. The next most important innovation is the three screen strategy to the customers. AT&T recently announced launch of innovative technology tracking the missing luggage, smart phone with a mike, and data safeguarding systems. These innovations to be a revolution in the communication and entertainment industry.
Company Background
In 1875 Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, launching the world's first telecommunications company, using the Bell System, which is the very roots of what would become known as AT&T.
Alexander Graham Bell was working on inventing a "talking telegraph", which became known as the "telephone". Alexander Graham Bell had two partners, Gardiner Hubbard and Thomas Sanders, who financed Bell's work and Bell consequently earned patents in 1876 and 1877. Originally AT&T was known as the "American Telephone and Telegraph Corporation" and started the first telephone service in New Haven, Connecticut in 1878. From this point the company expanded to many major cities throughout America in three years with licenses under the name of American Bell Telephone Company. In 1882, American Bell purchased a controlling interest in a company that became its' manufacturing base, Western Electric Company. Gradually, American Bell began to take over the companies their products were licensed to, which created the great enterprise known as "the Bell System". In March 1885, the American Telephone and Telegraph Service was incorporated as a subsidiary of American Bell and began building the first telephone long distance network, with new telephone wire loading coils in 1899, from New York to San Francisco. This project required new inventions to boost signal strength which weakened over long distances in the telephone wires. In this way AT&T developed many new inventions that applied to …show more content…
later technologies, such as electrical amplifiers, which are still used on circuit boards today. The electric amplifier made it possible to create transcontinental telephone service by 1913.
As Bell's patents expired, there was a frenzy for other companies to get in on the telephone gold mine. As a result, over six thousand telephone companies formed, each using its' own wire network. The number of telephone lines expanded from 285,000 to over 3 million. So many new phone customers combined with heavy competition created new problems for the consumer. Most networks did not connect to other networks, meaning that people in the same town may not be able to call each other. It wasn't until 1913 that this problem was resolved.
In the early 1900's, AT&T's new ambition was to create a universal telephone network in the Unites States and also became the main supplier for telephone manufacturing and technology to the entire world. By 1925, AT&T opened its' first transatlantic telephone service using a two way radio and charged 75 US Dollars for 3 minutes. Hawaii got its' first radio-telephone service in 1931. Radio-telephone service opened to Tokyo in 1934. Radio telephone service was subject to interference and was limited in its' capacity. It was in 1956 that AT&T developed the first transatlantic submarine cable service, called TAT-1, and the first transpacific cable service opened in 1964.
AT&T's president in 1907, Theodore Vail, operated under the idea that telephone service was most efficient as a monopoly. Until this time AT&T's Bell System was functioning as a government sanctioned monopoly that was regulated by the US congress. In 1913 AT&T and the US government was in agreement with the principles of Theodore Vail and this agreement was known as the "Kingsbury Commitment". In this agreement AT&T agreed to let non-competing companies connect through the Bell System and let go of its' controlling interest in Western Union telegraph company. AT&T's network became the best telephone system in the world, but unfortunately came under investigation by the US Department of Justice and an anti-trust suit was filed against AT&T in 1949. In 1956 AT&T made a deal with the Justice Department to restrict its' activities to regulated telephone service and government contracted work.
Over the next few decades, by the 1960's, AT&T's Bell Telephone Laboratories had developed more advanced technologies, like alternatives to copper wires, a microwave relay system, to improve the quality of its long distance network. In 1962, AT&T's first commercial satellite, Telstar 1, further enhanced its international network and provided an alternative to submarine cable. By this time the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) opened the way for more competition in the long distance telephone market and also opened the way to challenge AT&T again through anti-trust laws. The anti-trust suit by the US government against AT&T started in 1974 and was finally settled in 1982. The result of this was that AT&T was separated into regional pieces where a natural monopoly on local telephone service existed. By January 1, 1984, the Bell System, as it was known, had died. AT&T transformed into being a new company struggling with many new competitors and great loss in market share. Up until the present day AT&T has remained a strong competitor and is a major player in the cell phone technology and service market.
AT&T (which stands for American Telephone & Telegraph Company) was actually founded by a man by the name of Mr. Alexander Graham Bell, after he invented, and received his patent for the telephone in the year of 1876. His original company’s name was the Bell Telephone Company. AT&T is now one of the biggest telephone services and communication service providers in the world. The AT&T Company provides services such as land line and cell phone services, Direct TV, and internet services in the United States and across the world in more than 200 countries and territories.
Company Culture
AT&T has a very friendly company culture. They believe in a wide range of diversity, and being multinational, multicultural, and multilingual, and they strive to provide their products and services in the languages that their customers prefer. They are constantly looking for new ways to help AT&T customers stay connected to the rest of the world by providing AT&T company products and services that are culturally relevant and at competitive prices. AT&T focuses their business marketing and advertising to represent the diversity of the local communities within the United States and the communities of their international customers as well. Currently they are conducting business in more than 160 languages. AT&T also concentrates on studying and understanding the differences of the cultures around the world. When they study the culture, they focus on simple people which means they try to analysis from the beginning to the end in order to fill up the needs of customers. And marketing is effectively to a diverse audience such as the disability segments, the U.S. Military, and the LBGT (Lesbian, Gay, and Transgender) community. Not only in US but also other countries AT&T tries to do the right action at the right time. The improvement comes up of the company in all different manners, the company keeping the audience with what is new. In currently time AT&T bought Cricket Company. When they buy cricket, they changed all features such as the advertising, stores, smartphones, and all other stuff. The Cricket Company used to have only 50 percent coverage in the United States but when AT&T got cricket, they really changed everything to better. Coverage in Cricket now 99% became the best company in the United States.
Strategic Planning
Customer service is the leading strategic priority of the AT&T Company, followed by improved productivity and an increased focus of their core competencies. The company is always trying to keep the eye for customers that means the company due survey all time monthly survey and decide what to offer for its audience. The company has power to control everything in all different sides, power to own new technology, to pay for training its employees in order to improve the company with every single element. Everything from serving customers more quickly and effectively to outsourcing non-core activities, these strategic priorities depend on their technology to be effective. Through a study that AT&T conducted by the Economists Intelligence Unit, they found that many of their company senior executives around the world, that the senior managers wanted to be able to have an unending flow of information inside and outside of their business, meaning they wanted to have more connectivity.
Some of the things they researched and improved on were; Openness, to enable customers, employees, and suppliers to have a more quick and more easy way to connect across different applications and networks and each other, Security and Smartness, which gives more data at higher speeds for greater efficiency, and better relationships between customers, employees and suppliers. They also focused more on efficiency by connecting multiple networks into one solid network which allowed for a much more efficient and easier ways to manage different types of data and voice which made a significant reduction of cost and complexity for everybody. Last but not least, reliability, calling for the future to be utterly stable.
Information System Technology
AT&T is a leader in the global networking industry. They are determined, focused on and committed to delivering IP (Information Protocols) based solutions for enterprise and governmental customers. AT&T also pivots away from traditional consumer services. The AT&T Company continues to offer customers, private, professional, and small and large businesses, and suppliers alternatives to the traditional services. AT&T technology systems are keeping daily operations and its products has the strengths that keep customers come time and again. The communication and the entertainment operations are changeable so the people interacted by the products when the world is renewed and love the eager. The company has many features such as Data integrations, data managements, data qualities, peach and language and understanding. AT&T is always keeping the communication to ensure the customers to stay safe
AT&T is known as the nation’s largest internet provider. They have over 34,000 AT&T Hot Spots at popular restaurants, hotels, and retailers in the United States, and offer over one million hot spots all over the world. They are a global leader of delivering end to end reliable and secure network, data, voice, and IP solutions to wholesale customers.
AT&T was the first company in the United States to offer an integrated Wireless Receiver that allows customers to watch TV in any room of their homes, even where there is no TV outlet. They offer their customers access to 4G LTE network speeds when traveling to select countries. AT&T is also the first and only carrier in the United States of America to have international LTE roaming, and they provide voice and data coverage to customers on more than 250 major cruise ships traveling around the world.
AT&T currently has many products and services that are targeted towards their international customers. The AT&T Company is also continuously seeking more ways to update these systems. They do this by providing voice coverage in more than 200 countries without losing your current number, and data access in more than 170 countries with their high speed EDGE network, AT&T business Global Traveler, the AT&T Navigator Global Edition, which offers customers GPS directions and convenient access of directions to their desired destinations for the countries they are currently in.
Cloud Storage System
Nowadays, as a result of cloud technology, people of all ages and all professions have intensely integrated into their lives the flexibility of anytime, anywhere access to personal and professional information through the cloud. Cloud storage has become ever more popular due to their flexible accessibility and uncapped limit of storage. It is a place that both individuals and companies accumulate and store everything from tax records to family photos. With the increasing number of smart phone users, there are more photos taken on mobile in this century than ever before. The creation of cloud storage services such as Dropbox, Box, Sky Drive, Google Drive and AT&T Locker offer customers the chance to easily store their data and access it from any devices.
Cloud storage is a tech industry term for managing data storage through an Internet-based hosted network.
Many types of cloud storage systems have been created to support both personal and professional purposes. In the case of personal use, the basic form of cloud storage allows individuals to upload files or folders of documents or photos from their personal computers to a central Internet server. The advantages of cloud storage for individuals are making backup copies of files in case their originals are lost, downloading the files to other devices and sharing files remotely through the internet. Cloud storage has the unique competence that allows users to access their data from anywhere on any devices. Furthermore, the majority of cloud storage providers offer the syncing ability that allows users to have the same data in multiple places and at the same time store those data up in the cloud. In the case of business use, enterprises often utilize cloud storage systems as a popular backup solution. Companies have cloud storage software that run constantly or at habitual intervals to securely transfer copies of files and data to a reputable third-party cloud servers. While personal data is commonly stored forever, business data is more likely to become outdated and backup systems include retention procedures generally consolidate and let go of useless data after a predefined time limit (Mitchell,
n.d.).
On November 2012, AT&T launched its cloud-based storage for photo and video sharing application called AT&T Locker. Users are offered 5GB of free storage which is measured up to 5000 average sized photos. AT&T offers storage space upgrades to 30GB for $3.99 per month or 100GB for $9.99 per month. According to AT&T official release letter, AT&T Locker provides users with the ability to upload images and videos to a secured online storage and share on Facebook, Twitter or email. Users have the options to create and customize albums for photos and videos on any mobile device with proper internet connection or online from a laptop. With Easy Upload Feature, users can automatically upload the photos on their mobile to the AT&T Cloud. Mark Collin, Senior Vice President, Data and Voice Products of AT&T Mobility said “Customers use smart phones to capture special moments in their lives. That’s why we designed AT&T Locker to help you store those memories” (Elyse, 2012).
AT&T Locker application’s strength is based on the company’s reputation. When a consumer is researching and choosing a cloud storage provider, AT&T stands out as a shining star in the industry due to its vast global network. According to AT&T Cloud Crowd Infographic, AT&T network carries more than 28.9 petabytes of data traffic on an average business day and includes more than 916,000 fiber route miles worldwide. AT&T provides services to millions of customers, including multinational companies on six continents and offers high speed Internet access to businesses in more than 50 countries. In addition, with 38 Internet Data Centers (IDCs) across four continents connected to the global IP network, AT&T offer first-class service level agreements that provide up to 99.999% availability of web services (AT&T Business, n.d.). The reputation and brand quality of AT&T have a large impact of consumers when choosing a cloud storage provider. Incidents such as frequent downtimes, loses or corrupts data are major concerns that are associated with cloud storage providers. With AT&T and their extensive network of expertise, users can count on them to offer the best of class service.
AT&T Locker application’s weakness lies in its restrictions. The application requires IPhone 3GS or higher, Android smart phones with OS 2.2 or higher, Android tablets with 4.0 or higher. Unlike Dropbox, AT&T Locker does not provide a desktop application so files and folder cannot be dragged in or out of the cloud storage as easily. Furthermore, AT&T Locker is exclusive for US-based subscribers only. This application is said to be downloaded and used only by customers of AT&T (Newman, 2012). According to Google Play Store, many customers are dissatisfied with the AT&T Locker because the app is readily installed on new Android phones without the option of removal.
Recommendations & Conclusion In order to expand its reputation and market share, AT&T should open its app to more devices without restrictions and even more important, made the app available for customers outside the United States. Perhaps since it is a new developed application, AT&T is launching only in the US to perfect the performance of the application. Since AT&T can preinstall the software on phones it sells, the company is taking a step ahead of persuading customers to use its own apps instead of Google’s. It is easy to understand that AT&T is using its mobile network and influence to market the application by pre-installing AT&T Locker. However, it is leading to some negative reviews of the application on the internet due to the inability of the users to uninstall the app. AT&T has transformed its architectural and operational network to compete in an ever changing information technology market. AT&T has taken some big steps toward building a secure and stable cloud services systems. With the vast existing network, AT&T has continuously increased the value provided to consumers and businesses. In order to pursue further this mission, AT&T is constructing small teams of industry experts in software development and systems analysis to model structure and to deliver components of the new network architecture.