COLUMBUS, Ohio, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- BANC ONE CORPORATION today
announced it has formed the "Technology One Alliance" with AT&T Solutions and
IBM Global Services to provide the bank with premier networking and computing
services as it creates one of the nation's most powerful franchises in banking
and financial services.
In addition to providing BANC ONE with best-in-class networking and
information technology, the Technology One Alliance will offer significant
benefits to both the bank and the Columbus area. The alliance will:
-- Upgrade BANC ONE's technology infrastructure, improving its quality and
efficiency, and facilitating future growth.
-- Allow BANC ONE to offer its customers improved retail and business
banking service.
-- Support the bank's Year 2000 requirements.
-- Pilot leading-edge, end-to-end systems management capabilities.
-- Retain nearly 550 jobs in the Columbus area through the opening of new
AT&T and IBM advanced technology centers.
-- Provide a new model for attracting and developing highly skilled
networking and information technology professionals.
-- Establish links with local universities and community colleges,
including The Fisher College of Business at Ohio State University, to
develop academic activities aimed at producing a pool of well-prepared
technology employees.
The Technology One Alliance is being formed as a result of long-term
outsourcing contracts with a total value of nearly $2 billion between BANC ONE
and AT&T Solutions and IBM Global Services.
Under a six-year, $1.4 billion contract, AT&T Solutions will assume
management of BANC ONE's voice and data networking requirements, transforming
the corporation's legacy communications networks to a single new, state-of
the-art Internet Protocol (IP)-based networking platform.
To manage these operations, and the networking needs of other clients,
AT&T Solutions is opening a new Global Client Support Center in nearby Dublin,
Ohio. The center boasts the AT&T Solutions Global Enterprise Management
System (GEMS), the world's most sophisticated networking platform, which will
provide customized, proactive, end-to-end management of voice, data and video
requirements for BANC ONE.
And under a seven-year, $420 million contract, IBM Global Services will
manage a majority of BANC ONE's data center operations, including helpdesk
support and mainframe/midrange server management. An IBM Technology Center of
Excellence will be developed in suburban Hilliard, Ohio, to house world-class
customer service, operations command and control, technical support, and
education and training.
"The Technology One Alliance helps us by incorporating two high-powered
technology and networking companies in our planning process, increasing our
competitiveness and realizing a higher return on our investment in
technology," said Marv Adams, BANC ONE Chief Technology Officer.
"It positions us to respond more nimbly to growth opportunities through a
more cost-effective and responsive consolidation of networking and IT
infrastructure," he added. "Our partnership with AT&T and IBM is the first
step in our vision to establish a 'virtual IT enterprise.' We will be the
worldwide commercial development site for IBM's leading edge Enterprise
Systems Management (ESM) solutions. BANC ONE, AT&T and IBM will create
interfaces between GEMS and ESM across the enterprise to provide the
Technology One Alliance with the most advanced IT and networking-management
tools in the industry."
"We also expect to expand this alliance in 1999 by adding pure players
from the desktop computing industry to support BANC ONE's personal computing
environment."
Rick Roscitt, president and CEO of AT&T Solutions, said he was delighted
that BANC ONE had chosen AT&T Solutions as its networking provider to better
serve its retail and business banking customers. Roscitt noted that the
contract with BANC ONE was the largest to date in the three and a half year
history of AT&T's professional services unit and the largest networking
contract ever in the financial services industry.
"As we enter the new era of digital commerce, the financial services
industry faces an enormously challenging and complex range of networking
requirements," he said. "At AT&T Solutions, we concentrate on managing
advanced voice, data and video networking platforms, especially those that
encompass the financial and functional demands associated with meeting
banking's global requirements in a timely manner."
Roscitt added that AT&T Solutions will leverage strategic supplier
relationships with Lucent Technologies, Cisco Systems and other leading
vendors to assure that BANC ONE's communications equipment technology remains
leading-edge throughout the contract.
Mark Morin, general manager -- global banking, finance and securities, IBM
Global Services, said: "Our work with BANC ONE highlights IBM's expertise in
providing strategic thinking and technology-based business solutions for the
worldwide banking, finance and securities industries. This long-term
agreement will allow BANC ONE to use information technology as an enabler to
better serve its customers."
Morin added: "I am especially pleased that BANC ONE has chosen IBM to
deploy our new Enterprise Systems Management solution, which will provide
end-to-end systems management capability to ensure its technology supports its
customers, business strategy and growth with improved availability, capacity
and responsiveness."
BANC ONE Background
BANC ONE CORPORATION had managed total assets of $159.0 billion, total
assets of $124.0 billion, and common equity of $11.6 billion at June 30, 1998.
BANC ONE operates over 1,500 banking centers in 12 states. BANC ONE also owns
several additional corporations that engage in a full range of financial
services.
Information about BANC ONE's financial results and its products and
services can be accessed on the Internet at: http://www.bankone.com; through
InvestQuest at: http://www.investquest.com; or through Fax-on-demand at:
614-844-3860.
AT&T Solutions Background
AT&T Solutions, a professional services subsidiary formed in early 1995,
is one of AT&T's fastest-growing units, with more than 800 clients and $2.5
billion in contracts for new long-term business signed in 1998. The BANC ONE
contract raises its backlog of long-term business to nearly $5 billion. AT&T
Solutions provides seamless solutions that maximize the competitive advantage
of networking-based electronic commerce applications. It uses
state-of-the-art tools to operate and manage voice, data, video and
internet/intranet services, including local and wide area networks, PBXs,
voice-processing systems and voice and data terminals. AT&T Solutions can be
reached on the web at http://www.att.com/solutions.
IBM Global Services Background
With 1997 revenues of approximately $26 billion, IBM Global Services is
the world's largest information technology services provider. IBM's fastest
growing business segment has an unsurpassed breadth of capabilities, and more
than 116,000 professionals helping companies of all sizes solve real business
problems and create new business opportunities. For more information on IBM
Global Services, visit http://www.ibm.com/services.
SOURCE BANC ONE
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Related links:
http://www.bankone.com
CONTACT:
John A. Russell of BANC ONE, 614-248-5989; or
Jim Byrnes of AT&T, 908-221-7876; or Dave Caplan of IBM,
914-766-4529
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