AT&T Inc. today announced a new contract to provide network services to Blackman Plumbing, a retail and design consultant company for plumbing products with locations across Manhattan and Long Island, N.Y.

Under terms of the three-year contract, AT&T will serve as the primary network and data services provider to Blackman Plumbing.

Leveraging AT&T's Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) network, Blackman Plumbing's Internet Protocol (IP)-enabled Virtual Private Network (VPN) service is a fully managed network solution. AT&T VPN has secure, any-to-any connectivity and is accessible simultaneously from all Blackman Plumbing locations. Additionally, the solution's expanded bandwidth will enhance the availability and continuity of invoicing, e-mail and VoIP applications across the unified platform.

"AT&T's converged network platform will enable us to improve our customer service, and it will offer us a cost-efficient solution to streamline our administrative tasks," said John Richards, senior network director for Blackman Plumbing. "These efficiencies roll over to benefit our customers and eventually support Blackman Plumbing's continued success."

Each Blackman Plumbing location will enjoy the benefit of AT&T's highly efficient VPN services, which will allow the company to simplify and prioritize companywide operations. Additionally, with the increased bandwidth, the company will have the long-term flexibility to incorporate future changes and expansion.

Along with the AT&T VPN solution, Blackman Plumbing uses the AT&T BusinessDirect(R) Web portal for personalized, secure, anytime access to detailed information regarding the company's critical network services.