BLS Bellsouth Cp

BellSouth Provides Advanced Data Network for Savannah Tire Chain -- Savannah Tire Hires BellSouth to Link 11 Locations and Provide Platform for Next Generation Applications -- SAVANNAH, Ga., Feb. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Savannah Tire, a third generation family owned and operated company that provides automotive services at 11 locations in coastal Georgia and South Carolina, recently teamed with BellSouth (NYSE:BLS) to rebuild its data network. The company previously connected its locations to headquarters with 56 kbps connections, approximately the same speed of a dial-up Internet connection. These data lines were used primarily for point of sale transactions. Individual locations outside of headquarters did not have Internet access to order parts or check competitive prices. The new, more cost effective BellSouth solution, known as BellSouth(R) Managed Network VPN Service, links each location with high-speed connections (DSL speeds of 1.5 Mbps) to the Savannah Tire corporate network. In addition, dedicated Internet access is shared by the headquarters location and each store through the network. The Internet access is fully protected by a network-based firewall managed by BellSouth. Store managers and the headquarters employees also have the ability to access the corporate network remotely, from home or while traveling. This new network design, with added features, comes at a price that is less than what Savannah Tire was paying previously. "We are getting more for less and the service is excellent," said Greg Clements, chief financial officer - Savannah Tire. "BellSouth functions as a critical part of our IT organization and we are already looking at new features that would optimize our operations even more." Because of the flexibility and efficiency of the Internet Protocol (IP)- based network solution, the 54-year-old auto repair company is considering innovative new ways to serve its customers. "Imagine a customer having a video conference from home or work to consult real-time with an automotive expert who points to areas of concern discovered on his or her vehicle during a routine tire change," said Greg Clements, chief financial officer - Savannah Tire. "This and other applications like online scheduling are things that Savannah Tire is now able to explore since implementing the new, flexible data networking service from BellSouth." Many businesses have the challenge of linking multiple office locations to corporate resources -- each location with its own unique access type requirements. The growth of telecommuters and business travelers that need access to critical company information has also created additional complexities for corporate networks. In the past, companies have had to self- integrate and manage these disparate networks to allow branch locations and remote workers to communicate with one another and headquarters locations. BellSouth Managed Network VPN Service enables customers to shift the responsibility for network integration and configuration of their wide area networks (WANs) to the service provider. The VPN Service is transported over BellSouth's private IP backbone, which utilizes the security and flexibility of MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switching) to allow internetworking of multiple access methods (DSL, Ethernet, ATM, Frame Relay, and Private Line). "When it comes to data networking, one size does not fit all. Customers have specific requirements based on their business, but all desire integration, flexibility and security," said Joan Kratz, vice president of marketing - BellSouth Business. "BellSouth Managed Network VPN provides a flexible solution that meets these business needs and allows companies like Savannah Tire to effectively share corporate data and support next generation applications." BellSouth Network VPN customers include businesses of all sizes across industries such as retail, health care, education, manufacturing and financial services. For more information about BellSouth's complete portfolio of voice and data solutions for business customers, visit http://www.bellsouth.com/business. About BellSouth Corporation BellSouth Corporation is a Fortune 100 communications company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia and a parent company of Cingular Wireless, the nation's largest wireless voice and data provider. Backed by award winning customer service, BellSouth offers the most comprehensive and innovative package of voice and data services available in the market. Through BellSouth Answers(R), residential and small business customers can bundle their local and long distance service with dial up and high speed DSL Internet access, satellite television and Cingular(R) Wireless service. For businesses, BellSouth provides secure, reliable local and long distance voice and data networking solutions. BellSouth also offers online and directory advertising through BellSouth(R) RealPages.com(R) and The Real Yellow Pages(R). More information about BellSouth can be found at http://www.bellsouth.com/ . DATASOURCE: BellSouth Corporation CONTACT: Media, Todd Smith of BellSouth Corporation, +1-404-829-8723, or Web site: http://www.bellsouth.com/ http://www.bellsouth.com/business Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/095650.html

Copyright