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Press Release -- March 5th, 2012
Source: AT&T
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AT&T Disaster Recovery Exercise Simulates Network Emergency Near Landfall of Hurricane Katrina

AT&T Business Continuity Study Reveals Local Businesses Are Prepared For Unexpected Disaster, Investing in Mobile Security

Hallandale Beach, Florida, March 05, 2012

As residents of a state that’s been hit by some of the strongest storms on record, the South Florida community knows all too well the importance of  communication during unexpected threats. So does AT&T*.

In preparation for the upcoming hurricane season and other emergencies, the company is conducting a full-scale disaster recovery simulation from Feb. 29 through March 6 in Hallandale Beach, where Hurricane Katrina first made landfall in August 2005.

Held several times a year, these Network Disaster Recovery (NDR) exercises simulate the loss of a network office due to disaster and are designed to test, refine and strengthen AT&T’s business continuity and disaster recovery services in order to minimize network downtime.

The results of the 2012 AT&T Business Continuity Online Study indicate that a vast majority (82%) of local companies already have a business continuity plan in place, and two thirds (64%) have had their continuity plan tested in the last 12 months, helping them protect operations and maintain communications when unforeseen natural or manmade disasters happen to strike.

“Now more than ever, communities need to be prepared for manmade and natural disasters, and have in place effective plans to respond,” said Marshall Criser, lll, president, AT&T Florida. “Exercises like this help ensure AT&T is as prepared as possible in the event of disaster, and we’re hopeful that businesses and organizations in the Fort Lauderdale-Miami area continue to recognize the critical importance of ongoing investment in crisis preparation.”

Business Continuity Study Key Findings

AT&T’s 2012 Business Continuity Study found that businesses in the Fort Lauderdale-Miami area are preparing for potential disasters and investing in additional technology:

  • The vast majority (82%) of local companies already have a business continuity plan in place.
  • Two thirds (64%) have tested their continuity plan in the last 12 months.
  • Three fourths (78%) include their wireless network capabilities as part of the business continuity plan.
  • Half of IT executives (45%) indicate their IT budgets for 2012 are higher than the previous two years.
  • Eighty percent said the complexity of network infrastructure is increasing.
  • A majority (58%) of South Florida businesses surveyed indicate cloud computing is currently part of their corporate infrastructure.
  • One out of five (18%) plans to invest in cloud computing in 2012.
  • Six out of ten (60%) companies provide employees with access to social networking tools.
  • Facebook (42%), Twitter (36%), LinkedIn (31%) and YouTube (20%) are part of the business continuity plan.
  • A majority (56%) indicate their organization’s mobile security spend will increase in 2012.
  • Most (80%) are concerned about the increasing use of mobile networks and devices and its impact on security threats; one-third (33%) is very concerned.

For more information on the 2012 AT&T Business Continuity Study, including complete research results visit http://www.att.com/businesscontinuity-news.

Study Methodology

The results are based on an online survey of 45 Information Technology (IT) executives in Florida (metropolitan areas of Miami and Ft. Lauderdale).  The study was conducted by Research Now with companies having total revenues of more than $25 million (except for government entities). Surveys were obtained between February 10 and 19, 2012.

AT&T NDR Program

This week’s NDR exercise in Hallandale Beach includes an extensive deployment of network recovery equipment. The exercise tests and refines the team’s speed and efficiency in restoring  wireline and wireless network operations in the event of an actual disaster. Essential to AT&T’s own comprehensive business continuity plan, the Hallandale Beach NDR exercise features a total of 24 pieces of disaster recovery equipment, including:

  • Nine Technology Recovery semi-tractor trailers
  • A 600 kW power trailer
  • A 350 kW power trailer
  • A power distribution trailer
  • An Emergency Communications Vehicle (ECV)
  • A Satellite Cell on Light Truck (COLT)
  • An Emergency Communications Auxiliary Trailer (ECAT)
  • A 53’ Incident Command trailer
  • A Rehab/Team Support trailer

This exercise marks AT&T’s second exercise in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area; the last local exercise was held in 2006.

AT&T has invested more than $600 million in its NDR program, which includes specially trained managers, engineers and technicians, as well as a fleet of more than 320 self-contained equipment trailers and support vehicles that house the same equipment and components as an AT&T data-routing or voice-switching center.

More information on AT&T’s NDR program is available at AT&T Network Disaster Recovery.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T, news, filings) is a premier communications holding company and one of the most honored companies in the world. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile broadband and emerging 4G capabilities, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse® and AT&T |DIRECTV brands. The company’s suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive are known for their leadership in local search and advertising.

Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com. This AT&T news release and other announcements are available at http://www.att.com/newsroom and as part of an RSS feed at www.att.com/rss. Or follow our news on Twitter at @ATT.

© 2012 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. Mobile broadband not available in all areas. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies.

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