AT&T, Church Mutual Expand Networking Agreement

June 21, 2005; 09:38 AM

June 21, 2005 - Merrill, Wis.– AT&T announced today it has renewed and expanded a networking agreement with Church Mutual Insurance Co., the leading insurer of religious organizations in the United States. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

AT&T will provide an Internet Protocol Virtual Private Network (IP VPN) solution, integrating Church Mutual’s 40 offices across the country. The VPN provides a standardized nationwide networking platform with increased bandwidth and secure, high-speed access to proprietary applications, company databases, e-mail and other operational functions.

The AT&T solution offers full access to remotely deployed or traveling employees, allowing them to work as efficiently as if they were in the office, a key feature for the company’s field agents. The VPN also opens the door to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services, which offer increased productivity and performance at a lower cost.

The VPN will provide Church Mutual employees with secure, high-speed online access to corporate databases and proprietary applications. AT&T’s Internet access services for remote workers gives agents in the field as well as virtual office workers the ability to securely access the company’s intranet to process claims, share policy information and handle day-to-day transactions.

“AT&T’s networking solution enables us to process quotes and policy transactions in a secured manner quickly and efficiently and provide timely service to our customers,” said Chris Graham, CIO and Vice President of Information Services at Church Mutual. “The ability to reliably share information between offices and agents in the field in a timely way is key to our business and essential to our customers who rely on Church Mutual for their insurance coverage in times of need.”

Church Mutual can monitor the performance of its network and applications through the secure AT&T customer portal, AT&T BusinessDirectâ, which provides operational efficiencies including around-the-clock online access to real-time reports on network performance and direct connection to trouble management systems.

About Church Mutual Insurance Company
Church Mutual was founded in 1897 by two Lutheran ministers and eight laity to protect faith-based organizations, filling a gap in the insurance industry. Today, Church Mutual insures more than 94,000 religious institutions of all faiths, more than any other company in the United States. Its customers include houses of worship, parochial schools, camps, denominational headquarters and senior living facilities.  In addition, the company also insures the homes of nearly 10,000 clergy.

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.