AT&T Reorganizes; Wireless Head De La Vega Now Oversees All Consumer Services
This story was written by Matt Kapko.
AT&T (NYSE: T) has placed wireless head Ralph de la Vega in charge of all consumer services including landline phone, broadband, IPTV and mobile, WSJ reports. AT&T is now organized in four divisions: consumer, business, infrastructure and diversified businesses. De la Vega retains the CEO role at the company's wireless unit, but it's now been folded into a broader group that includes landline, internet and TV. The company says the move is an attempt to bolster creative bundled packages that might include wireless and broadband or all four services, but the company has already been offering discounts for bundled services for years. Cable companies are clearly the most targeted competitors under these management changes, since they've been more successful at selling multiple services to customers thus far, particularly because of their typically faster broadband connections. But it could also improve the company's plans to begin licensing more media and selling ads that would run across all screens.
-- Other management changes: Ronald Spears, who headed up the Global Business Services unit, will now be the point man for the re-organized business unit that also includes small business customers. John Stankey, former president of telecom operations, will become CEO of technology operations. Ray Wilkins will remain CEO of the diversified businesses unit, which oversees yellowpages.com and international investments among others.
By Matt Kapko