ITAC RECEIVES FUNDING FOR
DISASTER RESEARCH AND EDUCATION
AT&T Foundation Awards $90,000 Grant

FOR RELEASE 12:00PM EST, JANUARY 14, 2004

SILVER SPRING, MD. - The International Telework Association & Council (ITAC), the leading organization dedicated to advancing telework, today announced that it has received a $90,000 grant from the AT&T Foundation. The grant will fund a research and public education campaign on the use of telework to increase the resiliency of businesses, government agencies and other organizations in disasters.

Telework, also known as telecommuting or virtual officing, is the ability to work from anywhere, any time and not necessarily within a particular office building or a particular location.

In 2003, the President of the United States declared 59 major disasters and 19 emergencies, many of which included shutting down federal facilities. Research has also shown that up to 40% of small businesses that experience a disaster may never reopen their doors, and as the risk of disasters has increased, so has the need to plan for those events.

“Since telework enables people to continue working even if their normal office building is inaccessible or damaged, it should play a vital role in disaster planning,” said Tim Kane, -president of ITAC and with Deloitte. “Unfortunately, not enough organizations know how to do this - or even realize that they should.”

The research funding will allow ITAC to develop a handbook targeted at businesses, agencies, non-profits and the public, as well as an extensive education campaign. The handbook will provide the step-by-step resources and procedures these groups need to build an effective telework strategy into their operational continuity plans.

“Companies have always saved money by organizing around networks instead of buildings,” said Joseph Roitz, AT&T’s telework director. “Now we’re beginning to see telework used to keep a company’s operations up and running, no matter what happens. Whether it’s a blizzard in Denver or a flood in Texas, employees don’t miss a beat.”

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About ITAC
On January 1, 2005, ITAC became the Telework Advisory Group for WorldatWork. Prior to this year, ITAC was the International Telework Association and Council (ITAC). As part of WorldatWork, ITAC continues its mission of advancing the growth and success of work independent of location through groundbreaking research such as this year’s Guide, an annual conference held every September and monthly e-mail communications on the latest developments in telework. Information on ITAC and its activities is available on the Web at www.workingfromanywhere.org or by telephone at 301-650-2322.

About the AT&T Foundation:
The AT&T Foundation invests in projects that address a range of public concerns. Emphasis is placed on programs that serve the needs of people in communities where AT&T has a significant business presence; initiatives that use technology in innovative ways; and programs that AT&T employees are actively involved with as contributors and/or volunteers. AT&T has donated more than $7 million toward environmental programs since 1996. For further information, please visit the AT&T Foundation Web site at www.att.com/foundation.