Can AT&T make phoning fun again?

Basic HomeManager is priced at $299 with additional handsets for $69 each. The package of frame, handset and base station, developed with Samsung's network business, is being made available at launch to nine AT&T markets. Customers must sign up for a two-year AT&T High Speed Internet contract or the bundle of AT&T U-verse TV, High Speed Internet and Voice services to get the HomeManager, although no subsidies are offered at this time.

The announcement comes just one week after AT&T hosted a conference to announce plans for future technologies, many of which revolved around this three-screen theme. The carrier discussed the possibility of linking its U-Verse video and Web services to its exclusive partner Apple’s iPhone in order to create at true converged consumer experience. AT&T CTO John Donovan told Reuters that the AT&T is exploring the whole landscape in the home. He described potential use cases as everything from remote DVR to transferring content from the DVR to the phone to displaying the iPhone’s visual voicemail through the TV and using the device in lieu of the TV set’s remote control.

Other services leveraging these FMC capabilities are expected to roll out by the end of the year, although AT&T has only spoken of them speculatively. The carrier has, however, been making good on its promise of advanced features for U-Verse subscribers. Last week, the carrier introduced total-home DVR with the ability to watch any recorded show from any connected TV.

On the wireless side, AT&T revamped its Web site, adding a Wireless Policy Portal to help customers locate the most frequently sought information regarding their wireless service and plans. Today, the carrier – along with middleware provider Antenna Software – also extended enterprise-focused applications to its Smartphones to access and retrieve information from remote locations. The hosted or managed mobile integration services, aimed at vertical industries including manufacturing, financial services, retail trade, construction and others, include sales force automation, field force automation and IT support.