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SBC Communications Inc. (NYSE:SBC) today announced a new long distance services contract with Huntington Bancshares Inc. (NASDAQ:HBAN).
The contract represents 100 percent of Huntington's long distance business. SBC Long Distance will provide toll-free, dedicated and switched service, and national and international long distance service as well as National Directory Assistance and 1-800 Conference services to the company's headquarters, business centers, and more than 300 regional banking offices. In all, SBC services will support over 9,000 employees in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia.
"As a $30 billion regional bank holding company with a five-state footprint, we needed a long distance provider that could be flexible as well as cost efficient," said Wilton W. Dolloff, Huntington's executive vice president of operations and technology. "For more than 100 years, SBC companies have proven their ability to provide high-performance, enterprise-caliber services to Huntington. In fact, our two companies have been in business together since each was founded. It was a logical next step to expand on that relationship and make SBC Long Distance our long distance provider."
In addition to the long distance services, Huntington utilizes SBC PremierSERV(SM) Frame Relay over a dedicated ATM network. PremierSERV Frame Relay is a nationwide data service that provides high-speed performance and exceptional reliability through the use of advanced packet switching technology and digital transmission facilities.
The addition of SBC long distance phone service to the Huntington relationship became possible in October 2003, when the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved the phone provider's applications to offer long distance service in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin. SBC Long Distance business voice offerings include domestic and international plans that meet the needs of businesses of all sizes and range in price depending on usage and services purchased.
"We are very excited about expanding our partnership with Huntington," said Frank Jules, president, SBC Global Markets East. "Huntington's decision to utilize our long distance services further demonstrates our expertise in providing enterprise customers of all sizes with a complete portfolio of voice, data and long distance services."