You have to love AT&T. They brokered a huge deal with Apple: a 5 year exclusivity deal to sell the iPhone. They rocked those negotiations and they are going to benefit greatly by the success of this device. So I guess they have the right to buy into the “i” hype and use phrases like “iDay” and “iReady” in company emails. Awww. How cute.

Here is an excerpt from an internal email to AT&T employees. Included in the email is the announcement that AT&T employees will not qualify for employee discounts or savings on plans with the iPhone.

Next Friday is iDay – the launch of iPhone. AT&T and Apple have been working toward this day for almost two years. As the exclusive service provider for iPhone, we’re iReady and very proud to play a key role in one of the most highly anticipated consumer product launches ever…

Launch logistics:
The iPhone goes on sale at 6 p.m. (local time in each market) on Friday, June 29. It will be available only at AT&T-owned stores, Apple stores and online at apple.com. A list of the AT&T stores will be available online before launch.

Ordering, pricing, models:
We are not taking preorders from customers. The iPhone will be available for sale beginning June 29 strictly on a first come, first served basis. There will be two models at launch, a 4-GB model for $499 and an 8-GB model for $599. We will share details on rate plans later.

Customers first:
Attracting new customers drives growth, which benefits us all. We anticipate overwhelming demand for the iPhone, giving us a unique and powerful opportunity to attract customers from our competitors. We need to focus all our resources on meeting that demand, and for that reason, we will not offer employee discounts of any kind on the iPhone, nor will there be any concession on the rate plans used with this device. This applies to all employees at all levels. Employees who choose to buy the iPhone must purchase it at the consumer price and must use it on a regular, undiscounted, consumer rate plan.

[Via NewsDoggy]