Okay, ready for a quick dash through U.S. business history? Once, AT&T was the only phone company, then the government made it spin off local phone service in various parts of the country, creating the so-called "baby Bells." For a while, AT&T was just a long-distance outfit with some Web aspirations.

Fast-forward to today's world of competitive local carriers, rock-bottom telephone-via-the-Web and cheap, nationwide cellular, and the competitive landscape has changed, to say the least. A couple of baby Bells have since merged, creating a full-fledged new AT&T business phone company with local, long-distance, cellular and Web services under the new (old) name of ... AT&T.

Got all that? The moral of the story is, AT&T business phone service is now a real contender for your small business needs. In this guide, you'll learn about:

1. AT&T business phone service for small business
2. Advance enterprise-level AT&T business phone services
3. Cutting wireless minutes used with an AT&T business phone account
4. Using AT&T business phone service and Web service abroad while traveling

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

AT&T phone service for small and medium companies

Service varies, depending on where your business is located, but huge swathes of the country now fall into AT&T service areas thanks to the mergers.

I recommend: AT&T business phone service is defined by the company as a small and medium business if you company has less than 100 employees, five or fewer offices and bills under $2,500 a month in telecom services. See more at the small and medium-sized business for AT&T services pages at Business.com

AT&T business phone service for medium to large companies

It doesn't hurt to be big. By combining business service as varied as business phones, corporate wireless and high-speed Web, AT&T hopes to lock out competitors.

I recommend: See AT&T business phone plans for medium to larger businesses -- as well as managed Internet, virtual private networks, "ultra-available networks" and the like -- at the AT&T business phone service enterprise site. See also the Business.com directory listing on AT&T business phone service for enterprise.

AT&T business phone service can cut your wireless costs

Now that Ma Bell is back in business on several fronts, it is trying to recapture a bit of its old footprint by combining services, like small business fixed and wireless accounts.

I recommend: Cellular users are used to getting free minutes if they call inside their wireless network. AT&T Unity simply extends that feature to AT&T business phone landline accounts. Business.com has a specific listing on AT&T wireless service choices.

AT&T business phone service is just the beginning

It's little appreciated that before the Internet went truly global, AT&T was one of the few companies building a worldwide business phone service for traveling executives and foreign multinationals. It also pioneered the prepaid AT&T business phone calling card for foreign travel use.

I recommend: The end result is a business-level Internet provider with significant experience and resources. Learn more about AT&T managed Internet services at Business.com.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  One way to measure the value of AT&T business phone service is to add up all of your current phone, wireless and Internet bills, taxes included, and then compare that number to an AT&T business phone service 'bundle' account.
• •  Increasingly, AT&T will leverage its position in Internet to offer cheaper, Web-based telephone services. Watch for this level of service in your area.