AT&T bags Treasury Dept. contract

AT&T on Tuesday said it has landed a multiyear U.S. Treasury Department contract for building communications network whose value could reach $1 billion. AT&T will install and deploy a secure, high-speed IP-based Virtual Private Network, called the Treasury Communications Enterprise, which will link about 1,000 domestic locations and tens of thousands of Treasury personnel working in the U.S. and overseas. The project will run at least for three years, with seven optional one-year extensions.

The planned network is expected to help treasury personnel communicate with any location using voice, video or data. It will also have provisions for emerging technologies such as Voice over IP (VoIP) and real-time video services. The subcontracting firms that will work with AT&T in setting up the network and in offering help desk and network security include Accenture, BAE Systems and Lucent Technologies.