AT&T announced that it has won a three-year, $1.5 million networking contract from Thomas & King Inc., a franchisee of more than 85 Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar and Johnny Carino's restaurants in Kentucky, Ohio and Arizona.

Under the terms of the agreement, AT&T will provide an Internet Protocol Virtual Private Network (IP VPN) connecting Thomas & King's headquartersand 85-plus restaurants with increased bandwidth and faster speeds. The solution uses Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) technology, enabling Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and class of service with priority queuing for business applications.

AT&T announced that it has successfully implemented an Internet Protocol Virtual Private Network (IP VPN) for Allied Electronics, a distributor of electronic and electromechanical component products, under a $2.1 million contract. AT&T also won an additional $1.4 million contract to extend and expand voice networking services for the company. Both contracts run for three years.

AT&T announced additional efforts to strengthen the emergency communications infrastructure and calling capabilities throughout the hurricane stricken Gulf Coast community.

"There's no way to quickly rebuild the communities or lives destroyed by a disaster of this magnitude," said AT&T Chairman and CEO David W. Dorman. "But we can facilitate restoration efforts and aid those whose lives have been disrupted by restoring crucial communications along the devastated Gulf Coast."

AT&T has offered its services to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and will establish IP-based calling centers where directed by the federal agency to give evacuees and emergency workers access to free calling.

AT&T announced today that it has won a $7.5 million networking contract with St. Louis-based Graybar, a leader in the distribution of high-quality electrical, telecommunications and networking products, and an expert provider of related supply chain management and logistic services. The three-year contract expands a longstanding relationship between the two companies.

VoIP services have made tremendous strides of late with cable MSOs and AT&T wholeheartedly jumping into the fray. Are consumers ready for VoIP? This report analyzes the opportunities and obstacles to VoIP adoption and how VoIP is being used to complement television and Internet services. It profiles VoIP service providers and consumers using VoIP services and forecasts VoIP adoption over the next five years.

"Historic consumer data indicate that the motivation for consumers to subscribe to VoIP is there but perhaps not the means or opportunity, To attract new customers in 2005, service providers will need to implement a strategy that includes continued aggressive rollout plans and more targeted awareness and educational campaigns."

SBC and AT&T are arguing that the break-up of the Big Bells 20 years ago is no longer viable and they have filed for a merger.