For further information:
Tom Hopkins
312-230-4889 (office)
312-953-1164 (cell)
thomashopkins@att.com
Mike Pruyn
312-230-4894 (office)
312-953-1157 (cell)
mpruyn@att.com
FOR RELEASE WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 2005
CLEVELAND – AT&T has won a $3.3 million global data networking solution contract from Parker Hannifin Corp., the world’s leading diversified manufacturer of motion and control technologies.
With annual sales approaching $8 billion and a presence in 46 countries, Cleveland-based Parker is extending its lead in the marketplace, winning new business and competitive market share in aerospace, industrial automation, refrigeration, electronics and wheeled machinery.
The contract extends and expands a long-standing relationship between the two companies. Under the terms of the agreement, AT&T will provide an Internet Protocol Virtual Private Network (IP VPN) integrating 115 locations spanning 3 continents. The service provides IP-enabled, application-aware managed WAN services that deliver security, flexibility and performance levels for corporate intranet solutions on a global basis.
AT&T’s VPN will support Parker’s ongoing strategy of deploying proprietary, mission-critical applications on its corporate network, with real-time access to all 115 Europe and Asia-Pacific locations worldwide. AT&T’s global, integrated IT networking infrastructure provides a high level of security and also supports business continuity, helping to ensure that critical services and applications will not be interrupted by a disaster.
Rob McVeigh, Telecommunications Manager for Parker, said: “For a global company with a sophisticated infrastructure, this agreement is key in maintaining the network flexibility and reliability essential to Parker’s future growth and acquisition strategy. Our continuing need for a reliable and highly advanced global networking solution that can accommodate the geographic expanse of our business as well as support our day-to-day operations is critical.” McVeigh added: “It builds on our existing experience of AT&T as a highly professional and value-focused company with the global coverage we need.”
The VPN solution gives Parker a fully managed network and delivers operating efficiencies, enabling Parker to manage its vast global distribution network, monitor inventory around the globe and support its worldwide brand-building strategy. The solution also provides Parker employees with secure, high-speed, online access to corporate databases and proprietary applications, including sales, marketing, manufacturing and supply-chain systems.
The AT&T VPN uses Multi Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) protocol in the backbone, automatically providing Parker with the flexibility of any-to-any connectivity across sites.
The contract consolidates Parker’s global networking information technologies, lowering the total cost of ownership. Previously the company was supplied by a combination of network providers, including AT&T.
# # #
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. www.att.com
About Parker Hannifin Corporation:
With annual sales approaching $8 billion, Parker Hannifin is the world’s leading diversified manufacturer of motion and control technologies and systems, providing precision-engineered solutions for a wide variety of commercial, mobile, industrial and aerospace markets. The company employs more than 48,000 people in 46 countries around the world. Parker has increased its annual dividends paid to shareholders for 49 consecutive years, among the top five longest-running dividend-increase records in the S&P 500 index. For more information, visit the company’s web site at www.parker.com, or its investor information site at www.phstock.com.
