AT&T and IBM in ASP alliance

The ASP Enablement Suite, developed by the two firms in collaboration with Lotus, incorporates many elements.

First, AT&T's web hosting services supported by AT&T's Internet Data Centers and OC-192 IP backbone, network and bandwidth management, hardware and operating system management, database management, storage services, high availability data and computing services, managed security and firewall services.

Second, the IBM eServer xSeries, a line of scalable servers that enable enterprises to run their ebusiness solutions. The eServer xSeries also helps ASP's deploy ebusiness applications. The Lotus ASP Solution Pack software, a hosting platform, paired with a core set of integrated 'ready-to-rent' applications that allow ASPs to maintain multiple, independent copies of the same application, for several companies or communities, securely on the same server.

Third, Lotus Professional Services, which are designed to provide ASPs who purchase the ASP Solution Pack training that will allow them to have a complete operational set of programs ready to be integrated with their back-end billing system.

Also, co-marketing and development programs designed to help ASPs accelerate revenue generation and extend their reach in the market.

Announcement of this new collaboration continues the expansion of the relationship between AT&T and IBM in the ASP and data storage markets.