AT&T Restructures And Reshuffles Execs

AT&T quietly implemented a massive restructuring and reassigned the top executives overseeing its Internet Data Services and its AT&T Solutions Professional Services Group.

The telecommunications company created three new organizations that distribute products and outsourced services under new management.

The most visible changes include the reassignment of Kathleen Earley, former president of AT&T Data Internet Services, and Brian Maloney, former president of AT&T Solutions, who will both shift to new jobs within AT&T.

The reshuffling was made to clear up confusion among customers and even among AT&T sales representatives who have complained about wading through products and services that had been cross-sold by all AT&T divisions, says an AT&T spokesman.

AT&T President Dave Dorman announced the changes in an internal memo dated May 1. In an attempt to address customer complaints that AT&T was going to market in a "fragmented manner," Dorman said the company is creating three new organizations that report directly to him.

First is a professional services and outsourcing unit. Second is a managed services and hosting unit, which will contain IP VPNs, managed router services and managed data networking services. The third group is the connectivity services unit, which includes frame relay, ATM, private lines, voice services and call center services.

The professional services and outsourcing unit will feature services provided by AT&T Solutions and AT&T Government Markets. Mary Jane McKeever will lead this group, replacing Maloney, who will now lead a sales organization from within AT&T Solutions.

AT&T placed its managed services and hosting services under one tent to be led by Robin Young. Young replaces Earley, who will now have responsibility for all business brands, advertising and marketing strategy. The connectivity services unit will be led by Barbara Peda.

Before the restructurings, services had been mixed and matched between three established AT&T organizations--AT&T Business, AT&T Solutions and AT&T Global Network Services.