DALLAS, Feb. 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The AT&T* Application Resource Optimizer (ARO) earned top honors at Mobile World Congress, winning the Smartphone Application Challenge at GSMA's 18^th annual Global Mobile Awards. The recognition reflects AT&T's commitment to provide developers with best-in-class tools and resources needed to create innovative apps and services.

The Smartphone Application Challenge recognized ARO as the best developer tool to build smartphone applications that efficiently connect to the network and consume device power. ARO is a free, carrier-agnostic, open source diagnostic tool that enables developers to analyze the performance of their apps, which allows developers to create more efficient apps that run faster while reducing network strain and battery exhaustion, enhancing a user's overall app experience.

"The Global Mobile Awards' recognition of ARO is further validation of AT&T's dedication to accelerate innovation by empowering third-party developers with the tools, resources and education they need to bring consumer-friendly solutions to the forefront," said Carolyn Billings, Associate VP, AT&T Developer Program. "After using ARO to test 250 leading apps, AT&T estimated per app improvements to be between 20 to 40 percent."

The Global Mobile Awards honor the most innovative products and services across 37 categories spanning the areas of mobile apps, consumer devices, connected life and infrastructure. More than 600 entries sent from around the world were judged by a panel of distinguished industry experts, media and analysts assessing innovation, functionality, implementation and overall value.

"Through these awards, we are proud to shine the light on the mobile industry's many innovators and leaders, from all corners of the world," said John Hoffman, CEO, GSMA Ltd. "This year's new categories reflected the industry's reach into many new sectors and we received more than 600 high-quality entries from across the mobile ecosystem. We would like to congratulate all Global Mobile Awards winners and thank the many hundreds of companies and organisations that support these awards by entering each year."

For more information on AT&T ARO, visit developer.att.com.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company and one of the most honored companies in the world. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and internationally. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's largest 4G network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile Internet, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries.  It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse^® and AT&T │DIRECTV brands. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world.

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SOURCE AT&T Inc.