AT&T Gets Army Nod for Comms Service Delivery; Mike Leff Comments

AT&T has secured new Authority to Operate status from the U.S. Army, allowing it to deliver unified communications services for personnel using the service branch’s unclassified network within the continental U.S.

The company said Wednesday it is scheduled to provide instant messaging, persistent chat, video, voice, presence and screen sharing services to an initial batch of Army users starting in the third quarter.

“The U.S. Army has validated our readiness to modernize the way its warfighters and staff connect, collaborate and share information using our connectivity capabilities,” Mike Leff, vice president of defense at AT&T Public Sector, told GovConDaily Wednesday.

The ATO comes nearly 10 months after the telecommunications firm won a contract to manage global classified and unclassified connectivity services for nearly 1 million military users.

AT&T aims to receive authorization by early next year to deliver services to classified users and locations outside the continental U.S.