AT&T Announces Third Annual CTIA Wireless Events to Encourage Development of Innovative Wireless Applications for Consumers and

AT&T is expecting the
biggest turnout ever at events it is hosting for the third consecutive year
at the CTIA convention in Las Vegas, April 1 - 3. The three different
events -- the Enterprise Developers Summit, Fast Pitch and Open Call --
encourage the creation of innovative wireless applications and help quickly
get them into the hands of the company's more than 70 million wireless
customers.
In a related development, AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) announced today it has
unveiled a new Web site, http://www.att.com/choice, that helps wireless
customers learn about and experience many of the choices available to them,
including "bring your own device" options for consumers and businesses. The
site also provides tools that help developers create new mobile
applications and devices.
"The driving force of our business is our commitment to be open to
innovation and to offer our customers more choices than any other wireless
company," said Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO of AT&T's wireless unit.
"That means choices in applications, choices in handsets, choices in
operating systems, choices in how to shop and pay for service, plus much
more. Today's announcements underscore that commitment. Maximum customer
choice is what real openness is all about."
The CTIA Triple Play
Enterprise Developers Summit: On March 31 in Las Vegas, AT&T will
conduct its annual summit for the corporate applications development
community. In this meeting, AT&T representatives will meet with business
customers, independent software and hardware vendors and others in the
corporate development community to explore wireless issues and trends.
These include, among others, strategies that corporate developers can use
to create and optimize applications for the AT&T network. As in previous
years, much time will be devoted to highly interactive sessions in which
developers and AT&T can continue their dialogue on the most effective ways
to work together.
Fast Pitch: AT&T has accepted more than 125 registrations -- a full
house -- for an event open to developers of consumer applications who
attend the CTIA convention. Attendees will discuss their ideas for new and
exciting wireless applications. Representatives from a leading industrial
design company, a venture capital firm, a major wireless handset
manufacturer and AT&T will participate in those discussions, which will
take place April 1 and 2. This is the third consecutive year for the Fast
Pitch program, which is like a high-tech version of "American Idol."
For the first time at Fast Pitch, AT&T will provide $70,000 in cash and
other prizes to the developers of the best applications. Winning
applications could be made available for download in the AT&T Media Mall,
placed on AT&T's MEdia(TM) Net Web portal, optimized for easy access and
searchable on the MEdiaNet index, or featured in key promotions to AT&T's
enterprise and small business channels. AT&T's customers have long enjoyed
the freedom to choose applications from AT&T or from the Web to make the
most of their wireless experience. Programs like Fast Pitch help ensure
that customers have the best applications at their fingertips.
Open Call: For the first time, developers who did not register for Fast
Pitch will have an opportunity to demonstrate their applications. On a
first-come, first-served basis, any developer can present his or her
application in Open Call sessions April 3 at CTIA.
The Fast Pitch program in particular has helped AT&T find unique and
innovative applications, including Ascendo Fitness
(http://www.ascendo-inc.com), My Local TV News Over Wireless
(http://www.newsoverwireless.com), and Mobile Comic Books by uclick
(http://www.uclick.com). These and many other applications can be found on
the AT&T MEdia Mall.
"Fast Pitch was a tremendous opportunity for us," said Mike Merrill,
CEO of Smartphones Technologies Inc., which was a participant in the
program in 2006 and now has a suite of services on AT&T consumer wireless
properties. "AT&T was great to work with and really helped us get great
visibility for our products."
In 2002, AT&T became the first major wireless carrier to create a
developer-relations program, which is called devCentral.
In a competitive analysis of the developer-relations programs of major
wireless carriers and device manufacturers published last year by Evans
Data Corp., AT&T ranked first among carriers in its ability to help
wireless developers successfully commercialize their applications from
concept to certification to generating revenue.
The study, which also ranked AT&T first among wireless carriers for the
quality of its developers program, said that "(AT&T's developer) partnering
options are amongst the most well-defined among the companies reviewed
here. Developers are given several options to market their applications,
through (AT&T's) own marketplace and through external resources like
Cellmania and Handango."
"AT&T is the developer-relations program leader among major wireless
carriers," said John Andrews, president and CEO of Evans Data. "The company
has one of the most robust developer-relations programs in the industry."
It's All Here: New Web Site for Customers and Developers
The new Web site AT&T unveiled today, http://www.att.com/choice, brings
together -- for the first time -- detailed, easy-to-navigate information on
the extensive choices that AT&T offers to consumers and businesses in
handsets, applications and much more. It also features innovative,
industry-leading resources for developers of wireless applications.
Residential and Business Customers
The site http://www.att.com/choice gives wireless customers information
and resources so that they can learn about and experience all the choices
available to them:
1 An Inventory of Applications -- The site highlights the most popular
applications and third-party content sites offered on AT&T's properties,
including the company's mobile portal, content store and online catalog.
AT&T's wireless customers can choose from hundreds of thousands of
applications and other digital content.
2 A Catalog of Devices -- Customers also have access to a wide array of
devices, and http://www.att.com/choice lets them easily look for and buy
the right handset for their needs.
3 "Bring Your Own Device" Options for Consumers and Businesses -- The new
Web site tells consumers about the option of using their own compatible
GSM wireless device on the AT&T network, including the need to purchase
a SIM (subscriber identity module, which is the small electronic strip
that is slipped into the phone, usually near the battery). Customers are
not required to enter into a term agreement for this option, nor does
the device require AT&T certification. For important applications needed
by business customers, AT&T offers the largest and most comprehensive
selection of special-purpose devices in the industry; 285 different
devices are certified today, with more in the queue. These devices
include rugged hand-held devices and laptops, automatic
vehicle- location devices and point-of-sale solutions. Like consumers,
business customers are not required to use devices that have been
certified by AT&T. However, the company encourages customers to take
advantage of its network-ready device certification program, which has
been offered since 2003. Certification of business customers' devices
helps to ensure a better wireless experience and better technical
support.
Developers
To broaden awareness among mobile applications developers -- small,
large and in between -- http://www.att.com/choice highlights improved and
expanded technical and marketing information. This information can be found
within the new Web site at developer.att.com.
A key resource on the new Web site is the 2008 version of the Wireless
Reference Architecture guide, one of the most comprehensive resources in
the industry to help developers create wireless applications for
businesses. The guide, which can be found at developer.att.com/wra,
includes a wealth of information on all aspects of wireless technology,
from operating systems to application life-cycle management. Among the
guide's resources is a chapter on the technical specs of the wireless
devices that AT&T offers.
"AT&T's 2008 version of the Wireless Reference Architecture guide
clearly provides a road map for any business using wireless solutions,"
said Rick May, managing director of Rapid ID. "Our business, solely
dependent on wireless communications, is projected to increase in 2008 with
the assistance of devCentral -- which has been instrumental in my company's
success -- and continue to grow in 2009 as AT&T further develops its
solution."
In addition to the Wireless Reference Architecture guide,
http://www.att.com/choice also includes a variety of other resources to
help any interested developer, including ways to market applications for
maximum visibility. Thousands of software developers have already created
applications for the AT&T wireless network.
To encourage the development of innovative new devices, AT&T recently
made its Universal Design specifications available for the first time. The
guidelines help third parties design products and applications that are
usable by the largest number of consumers possible, especially seniors or
those who have disabilities.
About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) is a premier communications holding company. Its
subsidiaries and affiliates, AT&T operating companies, are the providers of
AT&T services in the United States and around the world. Among their
offerings are the world's most advanced IP-based business communications
services and the nation's leading wireless, high speed Internet access and
voice services. In domestic markets, AT&T is known for the directory
publishing and advertising sales leadership of its Yellow Pages and
YELLOWPAGES.COM organizations, and the AT&T brand is licensed to innovators
in such fields as communications equipment. As part of its three-screen
integration strategy, AT&T is expanding its TV entertainment offerings.
Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services
provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at
http://www.att.com.
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