As the old saying goes “Only the strong survives,” seems to be true in this struggling economy, and this statement is true when referring to AT&T which is among the strongest company’s listed in the Fortune 500. AT&T’s success is garnered by a willingness to function well as an organization, and also by being leaders in innovation. For a company to be successful there has to be proper planning, organizing, leading, and controlling on their part, coupled by the awareness of internal, and external factors, and how they affect the company.

According to "AT&T" (2012), "We're recognized as one of the leading worldwide providers of IP-based communications services to businesses. We also have the nation's largest 4G network – covering 275 million people, and 2,000 more 4G cities and towns than Verizon, and the largest international coverage of any U.S.” That statement alone says that AT&T has a well defined business plan, and economical external factors, such as their competition will not stand in their way. AT&T has not allowed internal factors like having to find qualified people for the jobs, and then training them affect their “bottom line,” and they understand that the quality of their employees affect their customer satisfaction, and customer satisfaction is key when dealing with a competitive market.

One of the main components of the four function of management is leading. Leading in this sense is, stimulating the employees to achieve their goals and perform high on all levels, and AT&T has this done this and it begins with the way that they train their employees. The last part of the functions of management is controlling, and this is important when thinking of how external, and internal factors affect a company. If the management of AT&T are not monitoring the goals that they set forth against the results they could be in trouble, and this could allow others companies such as Sprint to take over certain markets, and steal their business from right underneath their nose.

AT&T has been known for its innovation for more than a century, when Alexander Graham Bell made his historic phone call, this is when AT&T was named Bell Telephone Laboratories. AT&T has dominated the competition with their award winning services with mobile, devices such as cell phones, wifi connections, and hotspots, as well as in service for personal computers, and television.

This company has been able to offer something no other company has been able to, which is the U-verse service. U-verse gives customers the ability to control their television with voice operated devices. Better apps, better DVR services, which is where people can record shows, and not even be home, it also offers the customer the freedom to move their television anywhere in the home with the wireless receiver that AT&T offers. With these things being said AT&T is a company that will continue to excel and to be innovators of new technology, and will not allow internal nor external factors stand in their way of success.

Reference Page

AT&T. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.att.com/gen/investor-relations?pid=5711