PARIS, Oct. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AT&T Inc. today announced that AT&T is extending its relationship with the information technology department at Lafarge, a world leader in building materials. Under a three-year contract, AT&T will provide Lafarge with an Internet Protocol Virtual Private Network (IP VPN) and services that will connect the company's employees in 37 countries.

AT&T network services are based on a Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) platform, allowing the prioritization of different classes of service for data on the network. For Lafarge, this means that business-critical applications, such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) or financial data, will be prioritized over general Internet traffic or through e-mail, contributing to efficiency. AT&T will also support mobility, security and hosting services to streamline Lafarge's business operations and global communications infrastructure, with the aim of realizing cost-savings in the short and medium term.

Lafarge has several thousand sites spread across 80 different countries and linked to the group's network. AT&T offers a robust, global network with a high degree of reliability. Today, AT&T's MPLS network is available in 127 countries from more than 1,700 service nodes. AT&T also offers remote access in 149 countries through 45,000-plus access points.

"Lafarge continues to expand its global operations on a large scale and needs a provider to work with us as we make new investments and roll out new services," says Dominique Malige, Chief Information Officer of Lafarge. "Our communications infrastructure is a strategic asset and is essential to guaranteeing optimum operational efficiency."

"Lafarge's requirements presented a great opportunity," says Nathalie Wright, vice president-AT&T France. "Supporting Lafarge's needs throughout the world is a real challenge. Lafarge awarded the contract to AT&T because our product line is relevant and because we offer the global reach and level of responsiveness they need."

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About Lafarge

Lafarge is the world leader in building materials, with top-ranking positions in all four of its businesses: Cement, Aggregates & Concrete, Roofing and Gypsum. With 80,000 employees in 76 countries, Lafarge posted sales of Euros 16 billion in 2005.

Lafarge has been committed to sustainable development for many years, pursuing a strategy that combines industrial know-how with performance, value creation, respect for employees and local cultures, environmental protection and the conservation of natural resources and energy. Lafarge is the only company in the construction materials sector to be listed in the 2006 '100 Global Most Sustainable Corporations in the World'. To make advances in building materials, Lafarge places the customer at the heart of its concerns. It offers the construction industry and the general public innovative solutions bringing greater safety, comfort and quality to their everyday surroundings.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. is one of the world's largest telecommunications holding companies and is the largest in the United States. Operating globally under the AT&T brand, AT&T companies are recognized as the leading worldwide providers of IP-based communications services to business and as leading U.S. providers of high speed DSL Internet, local and long distance voice, and directory publishing and advertising services. AT&T Inc. holds a 60 percent ownership interest in Cingular Wireless, which is the No. 1 U.S. wireless services provider with 57.3 million wireless customers. Additional information about AT&T Inc. and AT&T products and services is available at http://www.att.com/ .

Subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. provide products and services under the AT&T brand.

CONTACT: Niall Hickey of AT&T, + 44 (0) 771 577 1451,
nhickey@emea.att.com

Web site: http://www.att.com/