A look inside AT&T's foundry innovation centers (pictures)
AT&T may have a reputation as a large, plodding company, but a closer look reveals places where people work on new ideas and projects.
Roger Cheng
Roger Cheng (he/him/his) was the executive editor in charge of CNET News, managing everything from daily breaking news to in-depth investigative packages. Prior to this, he was on the telecommunications beat and wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal for nearly a decade and got his start writing and laying out pages at a local paper in Southern California. He's a devoted Trojan alum and thinks sleep is the perfect -- if unattainable -- hobby for a parent.
A large display welcomes you into AT&T's foundry in Palo Alto, Calif. Identical signs can be found in facilities in Plano, Texas; and Israel.
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Good neighborhood
The Palo Alto facility is in a quiet neighborhood a short bike ride from Stanford University. Neighbors include a venture capital firm.
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French Laundry
The front section of the foundry is nicknamed "French Laundry," a reference to white-run laundry businesses and a callback to the space's previous life as a Laundromat. Workers embrace the ironic undertone of the name given the collaborative nature of the space.
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Working at the foundry
Someone is clearly a "Star Wars" fan, with a Death Star on display behind a welcome sign.
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Lowriders
Much of French Laundry is made up of uniquely shaped furniture that's low to the ground. It provides a more intimate feel, with people getting close to the floor as they work together.
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A wall made of cable
One of the more unique features of the foundry is a sliding wall made of cable lines tightly strung next to each other, making for a flexible divider that separates, but doesn't close off, the room.
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Everyone is welcome
Entrepreneuers, programmers, and AT&T executives and employees regularly visit the foundry. One developer's dog is even welcome.
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Quietly working away
It's quiet during a recent visit to the foundry. Only a handful of developers are busy in the corner typing away at their computers. The foundry is virtually a 24-7 operation; people come in later in the evening and will often pull all-nighters.
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Facebook hackathon
The foundry played host to a Facebook-related hackathon last month, with nearly 200 developers crammed into the space and working on new apps for the social network (it was rearranged to accommodate the crowd). The Palo Alto facility focuses largely on apps.
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AT&T foundry in Israel
The Israel foundry, which was built on a squash court, is in the city of Ra'anana, and is sponsored by Amdocs, which helps AT&T and other carriers with their back-end systems. Israel focuses mainly on network technology.
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AT&T's foundry in Texas
"Innovation Architect" Joseph May interacts with the 24-foot-wide touch screen at the AT&T Foundry in Plano, Texas. The facility focuses on business- and government-related features and services.
