Ringing Up a New System
In what it believes is the largest single private telephone system ever sold in San Diego County, AT&T; has installed a 12,000-line telephone system valued at about $10 million for General Dynamics’ Space Systems and Convair divisions, the companies said Monday.
AT&T; beat out competitors Rolm Corp., Northern Telecom and Intecom for the contract.
At least three telephone contracts awarded in recent years exceeded AT&T;’s General Dynamics contract in terms of dollar value, AT&T;’s San Diego group general manager Raleigh Wilson said Monday. But all were contracted by government entities.
Those larger contracts were the $100-million deal for the Navy awarded to AT&T; in 1985, a $12-million contract for San Diego State University won by Ericsson Telephone of Sweden in 1987 and the $12-million system for the county awarded to Contel in 1985.
Two hundred AT&T; installers from throughout Southern California worked over a December weekend to put General Dynamics’ system on line, said Candice Shine, General Dynamics supervisor for telecommunications.
The system, which was installed at four separate General Dynamics locations, is one of the first of its size to include AT&T;’s integrated systems data network allowing for transmission of voice, data and video over the same lines, Wilson said.
To demonstrate its appreciation, AT&T; sent its promotional representative, actor Cliff Robertson, over Monday to tour the plants and thank Convair general manager John McSweeny and Space Systems general manager Alan Lovelace for the contract.
