Mergers, Acquisitions and Takeovers Case Study

The Reverse Merger of SBC and AT&T : The Payoffs

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Abstract:
Though American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) had strong product innovations in its early days, AT&T failed to adopt new technologies towards the late 20 th century. Due to increased competition, it had lost its market leadership and incurred losses. Despite two major restructurings, it continued to incur losses. In January 2005, SBC Communications Inc., one of the ‘baby bells’ that was spun out from the company, acquired it in a reverse merger.

Pedagogical Objectives:

• To provide insights into the troubles faced by AT&T over the decades and its restructuring activities to overcome them
• To discuss the possible reasons for failure of AT&T's restructurings, the payoffs of the reverse merger of SBC and AT&T, and the future of the US telecom industry.

Keywords : Mergers,Acquisitions,Alliances Case Study;American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T); Restructuring; Diversification; Southwestern Bell Communications (SBC); Regional Bell Operating Companies (RBOC); Global telecom industry; Nobel Prize; Bell Labs; Transistor; Telephone; Alexander Graham Bell; Reverse merger; Acquisition and merger; Verizon and Sprint Nextel; Ma Bell and Baby Bell

Contents : 
Introduction
Growth of AT & T
Fall of AT&T – The Reasons
SBC’s Acquisition of AT&T
Personnel Connections between SBC and AT&T
AT&T: Net Revenue and Income
AT&T’s Bell Labs: Nobel Prizes
SBC – History and Growth