AT&T Bolsters Enterprise Mobility

In an effort to help government agencies and companies serve global customers using traditional and emerging devices, AT&T has launched three new advanced mobile services, the carrier said Tuesday. Its newly-established Advanced Enterprise Mobility Solutions group is offering mobile applications, machine-to-machine solutions, and mobile services in an effort to change business models across 14 industries, AT&T said in a statement.

The carrier has established an agreement with smart grid applications company Petra Solar to offer its single-platform solar generation and smart grid technology. AT&T said the technology would give utility companies the ability to focus on meeting Renewable Portfolio Standard requirements, while also investing in a smart grid technology.

The new AT&T Global Smart Messaging Suite is designed to help companies and government agencies more efficiently communicate with mobile employees, partners, and customers around the world with SMS technology, in what the carrier is calling a "best-in-breed" model.

AT&T said its Encrypted Mobile Voice application is the first from a U.S. carrier to offer mobile-to-mobile voice encryption using two-factor authentication for high-level security when calls are made on AT&T's wireless network. Due out later this quarter, the new service is geared at government agencies, law enforcement organizations, financial services institutions, and international businesses, the carrier said.

"We're helping organizations of all sizes mobilize their business, which is driving a huge shift in the way business is conducted and how work gets done," said Michael Antieri, president of advanced enterprise mobility solutions, AT&T Business Solutions, in a statement. "Our team is focused on creating new applications in a network and cloud-based environment that easily allows businesses to deploy these services on any desired device."

In the higher ed space, AT&T is working with the University of South Florida, in tandem with Pyxis Mobile, to provide a Mobile Enterprise Applications Platform so the university can develop and launch mobile applications. UpperClass, an application that pushes student, faculty, and staff information to users on a variety of smartphones, is one example, the carrier said.

Other industry examples include Interstate Batteries, a replacement battery company, which is working with the carrier to help it transmit data through AT&T's custom APN Network, the carrier said. Employee-owned Midwestern retailer Hy-Vee, is using AT&T to deliver marketing promotions directly to customers' wireless phones, said a company spokesperson.

Pricing for the three new mobile applications and services was not released.