AT&T touts win-win with $275M State Department award

AT&T Government Solutions’ $275 million task order that it won with the State Department on Monday is a win-win—not only does it benefit the company, but it also is aligned with the government’s communication strategy, company officials said.

Under the task order, which was won under GSA’s Connections II contract vehicle, AT&T Government Solutions will upgrade and install next generation secure IP telephony systems at 290 U.S. embassies and consulates around the globe.

To get the job done, the company is working with a team to deploy and engineer the communications capabilities. AT&T Government did not disclose the exact number or names of its partners, but does not anticipate having more than five teammates.

But there’s a lot of value here for AT&T Government. First, the company is the sole awardee on the contract.

Second, “this is a five-year contract and over time, as the embassies, consulates and State Department in general contemplate more sophisticated unified communications, we could be putting together much more complex systems [for them],” said Stacy Schwartz, vice president, AT&T Government Solutions.

Finally, the task order fits into the company’s overall government strategy. “We are trying to make sure that, as we are supporting programs for the government, we are equipping the government for the future,” Schwartz said. “As we deploy systems that are flexible and can evolve into a more converged environment, this would certainly fit that bill.”

So with the award, AT&T Government feels that it is both hitting its own goals as well as those of the government, Schwartz said.