ATLANTA --AT&T today announced it has secured a three-year, $2.25 million contract with Imerys to provide an Internet Protocol (IP)-based data and voice networking solution. Imerys is a world leader in adding value to minerals, and is active in 37 countries through approximately 290 industrial and commercial sites. 

The solution connects approximately 50 Imerys sites using AT&T's Global Managed Internet Service (GMIS).  The network enables Imerys to share its mining management systems in real-time among its locations, allowing them to efficiently operate mines and provision resources. 

AT&T's networking solution enables Imerys engineers around the world to work collaboratively on a real-time basis and improve the company's mine management processes. For example, it allows them to work from a shared database to model mining sites, view and analyze three-dimensional geologic cross-sections, and jointly decide how best to manage the mining process. 

Imerys will deploy Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) among its 30 U.S. locations, which improves communication efficiencies and lowers network maintenance expenses by allowing voice, data and fax traffic to travel across a single, unified network.   AT&T's IP-based network supports class-of-service transport, which gives priority to applications such as voice and video that must be delivered in real-time to ensure high-quality communications.  AT&T recently announced plans to accelerate expansion of its business VoIP service portfolio, giving companies unprecedented choices and flexibility to meet their VoIP networking convergence requirements.

"AT&T's networking solution is flexible and reliable, and it's our goal to bring cost-effective and innovative solutions to all aspects of our business operations," said Errol Correa, chief information officer of Imerys.  "Our network has grown along with the business, so it's important that we use a data networking solution that delivers enhanced performance and the capabilities we need."

AT&T also provides Imerys with local, long-distance and international voice service, and audio and video teleconference services.  AT&T recently received an award for business local phone service customer satisfaction from J.D. Power and Associates. Local voice business customers ranked AT&T highest in a number of key areas -- offerings and promotions, cost of service, performance and reliability, sales representatives billing, and company image.

To close the sale, AT&T worked closely with Solarcom, a technology consultant and AT&T Alliance Channel agent based in the greater metro Atlanta area.  AT&T Alliance Channel agents complement and enhance AT&T's capabilities with specialized skills in network design and deployment, applications integration and communications equipment expertise.

About Imerys

Active in 37 countries around the world through almost 290 manufacturing and sales sites, Imerys is the world leader in Minerals Processing.  The Group achieves almost €3 billion in annual sales. Imerys mines and processes minerals from reserves with rare qualities in order to develop solutions that improve its customers' product performance and manufacturing efficiency. The Group's products have a great many applications in everyday life, including construction, personal care products, paper, paint, plastic, ceramics and telecommunications.