ICBC chose AT&T Inc. to design and implement the sophisticated videoconferencing network, which links more than 75 branches within Taiwan, and will eventually include additional sites in Japan, Europe and the United States. Terms of the contract were not disclosed.

The videoconferencing solution will help ICBC quickly train staff on new products and services. This will not only give the bank a competitive advantage by enabling faster time to market, but will also facilitate superior customer service and support. ICBC also expects to enhance efficiency and productivity by cutting down on traveling to meetings by having regular "virtual" branch meetings and briefings from headquarters.

Following a rigorous selection process with many of the world's major global telecom companies competing for the contract, AT&T Taiwan was selected based on the comprehensive solution and professionalism of the local team.

"With increasing competition in the banking sector we are constantly looking for new ways to strengthen our service to customers, as well as improve our own efficiency and cost-effectiveness," said Chiu Wei Liu, Assistant Vice President of Head Office-Secretarial Department at ICBC. "We are delighted with the turnkey solution provided by AT&T and our customers are already enjoying the benefits of our improved communications infrastructure."

Steve Lowe, vice president of AT&T Asia Pacific, said that this is one of the largest and most complex network integration project undertaken by AT&T in the Asia Pacific region.

"This was one of our most challenging and exciting projects in the region to date," he said. "The banking sector is among the most demanding in terms of stringent security, reliability and quality requirements, so we are delighted that ICBC chose to entrust this landmark solution to AT&T."

The first phase of the solution was an advanced Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) network to connect ICBC's branch offices throughout Taiwan. The videoconference network integration followed next, with AT&T taking responsibility for all aspects of the solution, including working with videoconferencing equipment vendors and local network carriers.