AT&T's Global Network Brings Benefits To AT&T Williams In Melbourne

March 16, 2007; 03:24 AM

Melbourne, Australia  — As the 2007 FIA Formula One World Championship gets under way with the opening grand prix of the 2007 season in Albert Park, Melbourne, on 18 March, AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) announced that AT&T’s  global networking capabilities are being deployed to bring immediate benefits to the AT&T Williams team. 

AT&T is providing the team with a full suite of advanced IP-based communications services, which includes a Virtual Private Network (VPN) that provides secure and reliable communications from the race track in Melbourne to the team’s headquarters near Oxford in the U.K. on the other side of the world and other key locations, including engine partner Toyota.

From the moment the AT&T Williams team arrives at the Albert Park race facilities, AT&T will provide plug-and-play network connectivity, eliminating the complex and time-consuming hookup to an expensive temporary connection.

Even before the start of the 2007 Formula One season, the AT&T Williams team has already seen immediate benefits. During recent test sessions at the Jerez circuit in Spain, AT&T delivered a fivefold improvement in network performance. To transfer 100MB files between Jerez in Spain and Oxford in the U.K. historically averaged between 40 and 50 minutes. Since the deployment of the AT&T global network, file transfers have averaged 8.5 minutes.

The benefits of working with AT&T were apparent from Day One, according to Alex Burns, the chief operating officer of Williams. “Like most Formula One teams before AT&T became involved, we had to take a piecemeal approach to our networking resources,” he said.

“Our primary mission is to build and operate race cars and win races — not to run a network — but having a reliable and robust IT infrastructure is a basic requirement. In the past, we would assemble the resources we needed from a number of suppliers and integrate the different elements together in-house to meet our unique requirements. 

“It worked, but we found it complex to manage and expensive, and determining the optimum solution was very resource-draining. Today, working with AT&T, the situation has changed radically, and the team is already seeing the benefits in terms of significantly improved performance.”

“Since AT&T announced its agreement with Williams late last year, the AT&T team has been working hard to put in place a robust, reliable and secure network platform for the team” said Martin Silman, executive director, AT&T Global Portfolio Management. “One of the benefits that AT&T can bring to the AT&T Williams team is our extensive global reach and comprehensive networking portfolio. We can deliver to the team the latest communications technology to meet their requirements to be competitive in every aspect of their operations, be that at their HQ back in the U.K. or 12,000 miles away, here in Australia. Locally we have people on the ground to support the team — as we will have at every race.”
In addition to the VPN, AT&T is implementing a comprehensive, fully managed communications solution for the team including:

o Voice over IP (VoIP). AT&T’s network connection to the track side means that the team can benefit from the latest Voice over IP (VoIP) technology, allowing voice telephone calls to be made over the same network as the company’s data files.
o Web Hosting. AT&T is providing its advanced Web hosting services to the team’s new state-of-the-art Web site (www.attwilliams.com).
o On-Site Support for the Team. AT&T Williams will have its own dedicated technical support at every race, so any issues that need addressing are taken care of immediately.
o Other Services. AT&T Williams will be accessing a range of other services to support the team activities, including remote access, Internet connectivity and security and anti-DDoS technology.

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