AT&T Wins $9.5 Million Contract From Meredith Corp.

DES MOINES, Iowa - AT&T has won a $9.5 million, three-year contract to design and implement a networking solution for Meredith Corp., one of the nation's leading media companies.

Meredith owns and publishes 17 subscription magazines, including Better Homes and Gardens and Ladies' Home Journal, and operates 13 television stations. The company also has extensive book, custom publishing and interactive media operations.

AT&T will provide an Internet Protocol Virtual Private Network (IP VPN) integrating Meredith's 19 locations around the country, plus local, long-distance, teleconference, Internet access and high-speed data networking services. The VPN also will provide Meredith's 2,700 employees with secure access to the company's applications and databases. Meredith's consumer database, which contains approximately 75 million names, is one of the largest domestic databases among media companies and enables magazine and television advertisers to target marketing campaigns precisely.

Just in time for the busy holiday season, AT&T also installed high bandwidth access for Meredith's most popular Web site, www.BHG.com.

"This is the time of year when our readers and Web site visitors rely on us to ease the hassle involved in preparing for the holidays," said Brad Wyckoff, CIO of Meredith Corp.  "AT&T's networking capabilities help us offer quick, easy-to-follow, interactive instructions on everything from holiday home decorating to creative ways to cook a turkey."

The VPN incorporates Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) technology, which provides the flexibility of any-to-any connectivity and the ability to prioritize different types of traffic - for instance, voice versus e-mail or fax. It also paves the way for Meredith to evolve to a converged voice and data networking platform by deploying Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services.

With a focus on speed and implementation, AT&T consolidated Meredith's data and voice communications into a single contract, with centralized billing and discounts across all services.  Meredith also gained around-the-clock online access to tools that provide real-time reports on network performance and direct access to AT&T's ordering, billing and payment, status, inventory and trouble management systems.

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About Meredith Corporation
Meredith Corporation (NYSE: MDP; www.Meredith.com) is one of the nation's leading media and marketing companies with businesses centering on magazine and book publishing, television broadcasting, integrated marketing, and interactive media. The Meredith Publishing Group, the country's foremost home and family authority, features 17 magazine brands, and more than 150 special interest publications. Meredith owns 13 television stations, including properties in top-25 markets such as Atlanta, Phoenix and Portland. Additionally, Meredith has an extensive Internet presence that includes 26 Web sites and strategic alliances with leading Internet destinations.

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.