AT&T Co is determined to participate in most aspects of interactive multimedia, with the exception of content, Robert Kavner, executive vice-president and head of its multimedia products and services group told a multimedia conference staged by Salomon Brothers Inc in New York. Kavner said AT&T will either be a partner or owner in five areas – national networks, access networks, host services, home and business networks, and end-user devices. The focus of its activity will be its national network, because AT&T’s mission is to continue to be the world’s networking leader. While AT&T is and will be involved in the production of various multimedia tools, the core of all its activities is to drive traffic over its network. That traffic will increasingly be video and data as well as speech, Kavner said. AT&T will seek partners to supply access networks, and such partners could be cable television, wireless or local telephone company networks, he said. It will also find partners for selling host services or database services, along the lines of its investment in Sierra On-Line Inc. AT&T will continue to make its NCR computers and to enter ventures with manufacturers such as its joint venture with EO Inc on personal digital assistants. AT&T’s role will be as the sole owner in providing an international network and as a seller of business networks. Explaining the importance of the backbone network that AT&T sees as the core of its multimedia activity, Kavner noted that The interactive multimedia world uses networks to give people access to intellectual property and to other human beings. To maintain this focus, AT&T’s mission includes a commitment to keep its lines the most technologically advanced and reliable globally.
