Bell Atlantic Honors Carilion, Virginia Tech

Bell Atlantic Honors Carilion, Virginia Tech

Winners of Company's 1998 Excellence in Networking Award

June 4, 1998

RICHMOND, Va. -- Two of the most sophisticated telecommunications
networks in Virginia lie between the Blue Ridge and the Allegheny
mountains, far removed from the state's high-growth "golden crescent."
Both networks were praised today by Bell Atlantic - Virginia, which
bestowed its Excellence in Networking Award to Carilion Health System
of Roanoke and Virginia Tech. The award, now in its second year, honors
Virginia businesses and governmental institutions that have effectively
deployed information technology to improve productivity. Last year's
winners were Capital One Corp. and the Virginia Department of Health.

"We hear a lot of rhetoric about the wonders of today's new technologies,"
said Hugh R. Stallard, president and CEO of Bell Atlantic - Virginia. "But
Carilion and Virginia Tech have gone beyond the rhetoric. They embraced
these technologies and put them to good use. Their vision has improved
productivity in their particular institutions, while enhancing the quality of
education and health services in our state."

Carilion

Carilion is using Bell Atlantic's new ATM (asynchronous transfer mode)
network to transmit voice, data and video communications at high speeds
simultaneously over the same fiber-optic link. The system reduces
Carilion's costs and increases its operating flexibility.

For example, Carilion's network allows hospitals and physicians to
electronically send sophisticated images, such as x-rays, from a hospital to
a clinic. In addition, doctors are able to examine and treat patients from
remote locations, using a variety of telemedicine applications.

Based in Roanoke, Carilion has 12 hospitals and is affiliated with more than
20 health-related organizations, serving more than a million people in
southwest Virginia. The company is the largest hospital system in Virginia
and the 77th largest in the country.

Virginia Tech

Not only is Virginia Tech one of the most "wired" universities in the
nation, but it is a leader in wiring Virginia for the 21st century. It was
instrumental in deploying Net.Work.Virginia, the state's first ATM-based
broadband network.

The school has worked closely with Bell Atlantic to conduct ATM
awareness sessions throughout the state and has been instrumental in
connecting other educational institutions to the network. With Virginia
Tech's help, Net.Work.Virginia now reaches 70 Virginia colleges and
universities and.

Virginia Tech also has developed the state's first ATM Interoperability
Lab, which focuses on distance learning applications. In addition, the
university is taking a leadership role in working with other universities in
the Mid-Atlantic region to develop a faster, less congested Internet.

Virginia Tech, whose main campus is in Blacksburg, is Virginia's largest
university with over 25,000 students.

In selecting winners for its award, Bell Atlantic looks at several key
factors:

• Does the company or organization see the telecommunis cation
  network as an essential part of its business strategy?
• Has the company or organization defined the network architecture
  and identified an effective local area network and wide area network?
• Has the company or organization effectively integrated and
  deployed a high-speed network?

Stallard said picking winners for the award is difficult. "So many
businesses and governmental agencies today are seizing the opportunity to
put the latest telecommunications technology to good use. The judging
gets harder from year to year," he said.

Bell Atlantic -- formed through the merger of Bell Atlantic and NYNEX --
is at the forefront of the new communications and information industry.
With more than 41 million telephone access lines and 6.7 million wireless
customers worldwide, Bell Atlantic companies are premier providers of
advanced wireline voice and data services, market leaders in wireless
services and the world's largest publishers of directory information. Bell
Atlantic companies are also among the world's largest investors in high-
growth global communications markets, with operations and investments in
22 countries.