Pipepline operator Williams Cos Inc’s Houston, Texas-based carrier WilTel Inc used InterOp to announce that it is restructuring to focus on data communications, saying that its emphasis is to be on customer-tailored services rather than pushing state of the art technology for its own sake (CI No 2,242). Comparing itself to the way that MCI Communications Corp positioned itself in the telephony market, the company said it intends to recruit several hundred marketing and data specialists over the coming months, in order to offer specific customer solutions. It is not eschewing telephony entirely, however: Bill Wilson, vice-president of strategic planning, commented that WilTel hopes to continue gowing its business for switched speech and equipment, but that this side of its operations is now to become more integrated to support its core data business. WilTel points to its Asynchronous Transfer Mode strategy as indicative of the direction in which it intends to go, citing specific applications which it has developed for users: these include centralised and remote data storage, distributed data storage, disaster recovery, distributed data processing, performance improvement of peripheral devices and geographic consolidation of operations. To back up its claims, WilTel simultaneously announced its Asynchronous Transfer network management system, which is to reach users in first quarter 1994. Designed as an object-oriented programmming system, it is claimed to control all aspects of network management including switch installation, setting up user connections, monitoring customer premises equipment, reporting statistics, launching circuit tests and backing up field components. Users can establish and manage connections, control customer premise equipment and conduct performance management, it says. Features cited include the ability to produce customised reports, submit and track trouble tickets, and management of network performance, and that it is SNMP- and CMIP-compliant.
