AT&T to build $286M call center for Social Security Administration

AT&T Government Solutions will build a contact call center solution for the Social Security Administration as a result of a contract award through the General Services Administration’s Networx Universal contract vehicle.

Deployment of the “Citizens Access Routing Enterprise through 2020,” known as CARE through 2020, could be worth as much as $286 million to the telecommunications company, according to an AT&T Government Solutions announcement today.

The award will permit SSA to issue individual task orders to AT&T for an IP-based interactive voice-response automation and contact call center solution through SSA’s national toll-free number.

AT&T’s deployment of the contact call center solution will give SSA the flexibility to meet increased demands and add new communication technologies and services such as Web Callback, “Click to Talk,” Web Collaboration and Web Chat, the statement said.

In addition, CARE through 2020 will allow SSA to implement an enhanced reporting system that incorporates data from multiple sources and real-time network indicators, helping the agency identify and improve citizen interaction, AT&T said.

Previously a Call Center Toll Free Services provider to the agency, AT&T currently is providing data network services through SSA’s Enterprise-Wide Network Infrastructure (SSANet), to more than 1,000 Social Security Administration locations.

The CARE through 2020 task order has a period of performance through the expiration of AT&T's Networx Universal contract in March 2017.

Approximately 80 million calls are placed to SSA’s national toll-free number annually – 30 million calls serviced by automation and 50 million by SSA agents.

The Social Security Administration provides retirement, disability and survivors' benefits via a nationwide, decentralized network of 1,500 offices, card centers, processing centers and other offices, supported by approximately 66,000 employees.

AT&T Government Services is a division of AT&T Inc., of San Antonio, Texas, and ranks No. 46 on Washington Technology’s 2010 Top 100 list of the largest federal government contractors.