Telecom giants China Telecom and AT&T have forged a
strategic alliance to expand their existing relationship to deliver advanced
global solutions to multinational companies.

The announcement builds upon the relationship between
AT&T and China Telecom, and success of Shanghai Symphony
Telecommunications, a joint venture between AT&T, China Telecom and Shanghai
Information Investment in 2000.

Both the partners will expand AT&T’s IP-VPN service
in China to allow broader reach, technology choice, enhanced performance and
reduced total cost of ownership, as MNCs continue to expand their business in
China. 

“Our customers have told us that enhanced
communication services between China and the rest of the world is a key factor
for improving their competiveness and global expansion,” said Roman
Pacewicz, AT&T Business Solutions senior vice president of marketing and global
strategy. 

The companies will explore jointly deploying an expanded
suite of VPN-based services, as well as advanced services like telepresence,
managed hosting, cloud-based services, network integration services, and
enterprise mobility solutions.

They will also connect the China Telecom and AT&T
MPLS-based IP networks in the United States, to provide global experiences for
Chinese multinationals as they grow outside China.

Both China Telecom and AT&T will explore the
possibility of providing mutual support in other regions of the world;

The agreement enables them to offer bilateral WiFi
roaming as an additional access capability.  They will also work towards
simplifying intercompany business processes and put in place tools to help both
companies operate more efficiently.

“Through the strategic collaboration between China
Telecom and AT&T, China Telecom will be able to enhance its end-to-end
service capabilities via AT&T networks in the US.  We will better
serve our China-based and Asian customers in the US,” said Kou Fengda,
managing director of China Telecom’s global business.  

By Telecomlead.com Team
[email protected]