AT&T* developed the Public Relations News Operations Center (PRNOC) to enhance its ability to engage customers in the digital realm. As a result of the proprietary technology powering the social media listening platform, AT&T earned its sixth CIO 100 Award from IDG's CIO magazine and ranked number 37 on this year's InformationWeek 500.

"We're honored to once again be recognized by CIO magazine and InformationWeek for driving customer value through technology," said Thaddeus Arroyo, AT&T chief information officer. "Taking social listening to the next level, we have altered the way we interact with our customers and greatly reduced the time it takes to spot and resolve budding issues. We can now better identify the needs of our customers - both current and potential - allowing us to build stronger relationships around the brand."

The PRNOC scans information from more than 150 million public online sources. Mentions surrounding the AT&T brand and overall industry are captured and broken down into easy-to-understand visual representations that depict market trends, brewing issues and the volume and sentiment of feedback. This insight enables AT&T to prioritize responses and continuously deliver an outstanding customer experience.  

The CIO 100 Award recognizes organizations around the world that exemplify the highest level of operational and strategic excellence in information technology (IT).

"For 26 years now, the CIO 100 awards have honored the innovative use of technology to deliver genuine business value," said Maryfran Johnson, editor in chief of CIO magazine and events. "Our 2013 winners are an outstanding example of the transformative power of IT to drive everything from revenue growth to competitive advantage."

The InformationWeek 500 honors the top technology innovators in the U.S.

"The theme of this year's InformationWeek 500 is digital business. It's a movement, rooted in data analytics, mobile computing, social networking and other customer-focused technologies that are turning companies and industries on their ear," said InformationWeek Editor In Chief Rob Preston. "Every enterprise is now a digital business-or needs to become one fast. The companies in our ranking are leading the way."

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