SGB00155-1 ATA Case Study

ATA Airlines Soars With E-Commerce By Leveraging Network and Web Hosting Solutions Through SBC Companies

Constantly on the lookout for ways to cut costs and elevate customer service, ATA Airlines engages SBC companies for innovative network and Web solutions. Entrusted with nearly one-third of ATA’s revenue stream, SBC companies deliver exceptional value, providing products that help increase online sales and advance ATA’s online marketing initiatives. xceeding the realm of In an effort to increase online ticket with its online presence. With downtime E superlatives such as “do or sales while decreasing costs, ATA translating into lost revenue and Airlines sought to gain a new market opportunities, ATA sought a provider that die,” and “cutthroat,” the foothold and meet its strategic could deliver robust solutions, superior competitive environment for e-commerce objectives through its support and financial stability. low-cost airlines is in a class of Web site operations. These objectives included an increase in return on After meeting with SBC account its own. In a consumer market investment (ROI), reduced ownership managers, Internet specialists and where value reigns supreme and costs, greater control and flexibility provisioning engineers, ATA executives opted to deploy the SBC PremierSERVSM brand loyalty is constantly in of its Web site, and robust network solutions and support. The airline Advanced Hosting solution. This Web jeopardy, survival exists only for needed a hosting company that could deliver network reliability, those airlines who continually “The SBC family of companies cut costs, constantly refine their security and stability. continues to be one of our most relied-upon vendors. We’ve further The company spent several months market offerings and engage solidified this relationship by signing and re-engage consumers time reviewing Web hosting providers and on for an additional two years.” researching Internet architectures. One of Glen Baker, CIO, ATA Airlines. and again. ATA’s key findings was that the company

needed greater control and flexibility SGB00155-1 • September 2005 About ATA Airlines In its 32nd year of operation, ATA Airlines offers easy and affordable travel to major business centers and popular vacation destinations like New York, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Boston, Hawaii, Florida, Mexico and the Caribbean. Through direct ATA flights and connecting Southwest Airlines codeshare flights, ATA serves customers in more than 75 destinations. Try ATA’s 15-times- every-weekday nonstop service between the New York area and Chicago Midway. For more information, visit www.ata.com.

The new solutions have allowed ATA versus outsourced costs. Following Why SBC? to fully leverage its Web presence implementation, ATA compared its with new online marketing and previous hosting solution with SBC SBC Communications Inc. is a advertising initiatives, and solidified PremierSERV Advanced Hosting and Fortune 50 company whose the company’s network by seamlessly SBC PremierSERV Frame Relay and subsidiaries, operating under the SBC connecting its 15 locations throughout found that it had doubled its Internet brand, provide a full range of voice, the Midwest, primarily in Illinois, bookings and revenue in just a few data, networking, e-business, directory Indiana and Michigan. short months. Company executives publishing and advertising, and related further noted that the technical services to businesses, consumers and “The SBC family of companies other telecommunications providers. upgrades and improved reliability continues to be one of our most allowed a more comfortable and SBC holds a 60 percent ownership relied-upon vendors,” said Glen Baker, effective means of creating marketing interest in Cingular Wireless, which CIO, ATA Airlines. “The company was and advertising campaigns specifically serves 51.6 million wireless customers. entrusted with nearly a third of our designed to drive even more traffic to SBC companies provide high-speed revenue stream and has never failed to the Web site. DSL Internet access lines to more meet our highest expectations, earning American consumers than any other our confidence with each challenge “Low-cost airlines are surely among provider and are among the nation’s that was presented. We’ve further the most challenging customers that leading providers of Internet services. solidified this relationship by signing SBC companies must satisfy,” Baker SBC companies also offer satellite on for an additional two years.” commented. “We expect the TV service. highest-level service agreements and Before implementation, ATA conducted For more information about SBC responsiveness to our rapidly a total cost of ownership comparison changing needs. I’m gratified to products and services, contact your using the SBC Total Cost of Ownership local SBC technical sales representa- say that year after year, those (TCO) tool to assess its existing costs tive, or visit www.sbc.com. expectations have been met.”

hosting service offers complete Collectively, the nation’s 10 largest passenger airlines employ nearly 500,000 people, solutions with secure, high-performance including more than 55,000 pilots. servers and on-site technical support. ATA also chose to supplement the According to ACI Airport Statistics, six of the world’s 10 busiest airports are in the hosting solution with SBC U.S.: Chicago (No. 1), Atlanta (No. 2), Los Angeles (No. 3), Dallas/Ft. Worth (No. 4), PremierSERVSM Frame Relay Service, San Francisco (No. 7) and Miami (No. 10). a data service that provides the The annual Skytrax customer poll revealed that Cathay Pacific, a Hong Kong-based performance of leased lines with the carrier serving primarily East Asia, is the world’s top-rated airline for 2005. No. 2 is flexibility and connectivity of local Australia’s Qantas Airways. area networks.