HP, AT&T to Offer E-Biz Solutions
HP and AT&T have struck a deal to jointly develop and co-market integrated, managed e-business solutions for global companies and high-growth dot coms. Initial services will include e-commerece solutions for the enterprise, custom hosting solutions, high availability computing services, and an outsourced e-mail messaging and collaboration service based on HP OpenMail.
AT&T Solutions, AT&T's managed networking and professional services subsidiary, will support the new services through its global networking infrastructure and Internet data centers. AT&T said it will offer customers end-to-end reporting, monitoring, and management through its Global Enterprise Management System. HP will supply e-services expertise, hardware and software, and consulting and support.
Joint e-commerce services include solutions made up of software, hardware, hosting services, network connectivity and management, and legacy system integration. Planned application functions include storefront capability, pricing, order processing, tax calculation, payment processing, shipping and handling, customer service, and security. The companies plan to support the solutions with customized service level agreements (SLAs).
The custom hosting solutions include management of an entire Web system, from the network to Web applications, including end-to-end SLAs. The solutions will include HP Internet software and computer systems and will be based on AT&T's existing hosting portfolio and global networking infrastructure. Planned services include Web design, application development, and implementation and management of integrated network, server, database, and application components.
To deliver the high availability computing services, HP and AT&T will design, engineer, and implement network-managed services, including business and technical risk assessment. Solutions will include AT&T's networking management centers and HP's high availability servers.
For e-mail messaging and collaboration, AT&T Solutions will provide managed services for customers outsourcing HP's OpenMail, an e-mail messaging and collaboration solution for UNIX and Linux users.