Residential | Small Business | Enterprise | Wireless Region / Language
For Release Monday, October 25, 2004
United Rentals Selects AT&T For Network Upgrade
BOSTON -- AT&T (NYSE: T) and United Rentals Inc. (NYSE:URI) today announced they have signed a multimillion dollar networking services contract to integrate more than 730 company locations across North America.
United Rentals is North America's largest equipment rental company, with locations in 47 states, 10 Canadian provinces and Mexico. The three-year contract extends and expands an existing agreement.
Under terms of the contract, AT&T will deploy a network-based Internet Protocol Virtual Private Network (IP VPN) solution that provides United Rentals' North American sites secure high-speed online access, and integrates locations in the United States and Canada onto a common networking platform. It also paves the way for United Rentals to evolve to a converged voice and data networking platform by deploying Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services in the future.
"We had an immediate need for increased bandwidth to expand sales and customer applications at our branch offices, and an overall concern for budget and cost of ownership," said George Cinquegrana, Vice President and CIO of United Rentals. "We looked to AT&T to provide a comprehensive solution that helps us reach our goals. We're very pleased with their responsiveness and impressed with their ability to demonstrate their vision through the deployment of unique solutions that met our needs."
United Rentals has an advanced information technology network that links branches electronically, so customers have access to every piece of equipment in their fleet. The AT&T solution significantly increases network access speeds, improving the United Rentals' ability to provide customers exactly what they need, exactly when they need it. AT&T is a key strategic technology partner with this network environment.
The AT&T solution includes long-distance voice, Internet access, and IP enabled frame relay and asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) services. It also supports United Rentals' business continuity plan.
In addition, the increased speed and bandwidth provided by AT&T will enable United Rentals to provide employee training over its network.
With the secure AT&T BusinessDirectÒportal, United Rentals gains around-the-clock online access to real-time reports on network performance and direct connection to electronic billing and trouble management systems.
About United Rentals
United Rentals, Inc. is the largest equipment rental company in North America, with an integrated network of more than 730 rental locations in 47 states, ten Canadian provinces and Mexico. The company's 13,200 employees serve construction and industrial customers, utilities, municipalities, homeowners and others. The company offers for rent over 600 different types of equipment with a total original cost of $3.7 billion. United Rentals is a member of the Standard & Poor's MidCap 400 Index and the Russell 2000 Index® and is headquartered in Greenwich, Connecticut. Additional information about United Rentals is available at www.unitedrentals.com.
About AT&T
For more than 125 years, AT&T (NYSE 'T') has been known for unparalleled quality and reliability in communications. Backed by the research and development capabilities of AT&T Labs, the company is a global leader in local, long distance, Internet and transaction-based voice and data services.
AT&T 'Safe Harbor'
The foregoing contains 'forward-looking statements' which are based on management's beliefs as well as on a number of assumptions concerning future events made by and information currently available to management. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which are not a guarantee of performance and are subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside AT&T's control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements. These risk factors include the impact of increasing competition, continued capacity oversupply, regulatory uncertainty and the effects of technological substitution, among other risks. For a more detailed description of the factors that could cause such a difference, please see AT&T's 10-K, 10-Q, 8-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. AT&T disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. This information is presented solely to provide additional information to further understand the results of AT&T.
