AT&T Helps Antony & Sylvan Pools Take the Plunge Into VoIP

May 5, 2005; 05:40 PM

May 5, 2005 - MAYFIELD VILLAGE, Ohio, and DOYLESTOWN, Pa.  - AT&T today announced that it has won a $1.4 million networking contract from Anthony & Sylvan Pools Corp., one of America's largest installers of custom-designed, in-ground, concrete residential swimming pools and spas.

AT&T will provide an Internet Protocol Virtual Private Network (IP VPN) serving Anthony & Sylvan's 50-plus locations, including Voice over IP (VoIP) services and an IP phone system. The solution will create a single point of contact for customers, improve the company's ability to route and track customers' calls, and significantly reduce telephony costs.

"We were looking to move to VoIP and needed a reliable, high-bandwidth network to carry voice and data across our facilities nationwide," said Tony Pizzelanti, vice president of information technology for Anthony & Sylvan Pools. "We selected AT&T because we needed a carrier we could count on to ensure the success of this technology transformation and because AT&T offered a cost effective, comprehensive solution."

The AT&T network will also help Anthony & Sylvan gain efficiencies by integrating the company's e-mail, customer service, project planning and design applications.

In addition, Anthony & Sylvan will have around-the-clock online access to real-time reports on network performance and direct connection to electronic billing and trouble management systems through the secure AT&T BusinessDirect® portal. AT&T BusinessDirect was recently recognized by the Yankee Group for providing customers with the strongest online support and service experience in the industry.

About Anthony & Sylvan Pools
Anthony & Sylvan Pools Corporation has been building swimming pools since 1946. Over the past 60 years, Anthony & Sylvan Pools has completed more than 360,000 backyard dreams for families all across the country. Customers know that the Anthony & Sylvan name is the one to trust when considering a swimming pool purchase. Today, Anthony & Sylvan attends to their customers needs through a network of more than 40 sales and design centers and 16 retail stores serving more than 20 major metropolitan markets in 16 states.

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.