Orange Announces Orange Business Services: A single banner for all business communications services from France Telecom

31st May 2006 -- France Telecom today announced the worldwide extension of the Orange brand to all its communications services for businesses. Orange Business Services will take the Orange brand into the global business market with one of the industry's broadest communications portfolios.Orange Business Services will represent Equant's international IP communication and IT services, France Telecom's enterprise communications services and Orange's existing leadership in mobile for businesses.

The move represents the latest milestone in France Telecom's NExT strategy (New Experience in Telecommunications Services) to become the world's first truly integrated operator. Orange Business Services will increasingly offer a set of integrated services including both fixed and mobile voice and data, network services, managed & IT services and outsourcing.

"The Orange brand stands for challenging convention and superior quality service, and we are living up to that by being the first to offer businesses an integrated portfolio," said Didier Lombard, CEO of France Telecom. "Businesses want a single provider to address all their complex needs. Orange Business Services will simplify communications by uniting the worlds of fixed and mobile, telecoms and IT."

Immediate customer benefits
Customers will benefit from Orange Business Services' integrated offer almost immediately. Before the end of 2006:

- Business Everywhere will be extended in 16 countries and will combine IP dial, DSL, cellular mobile and Wi-Fi under one bill with one point of service support. New Business Everywhere options will also be offered. These will include security and push email functionality, as well as a range of tariffs to suit users' varying needs (e.g. homeworkers to frequent travelers).
- All customers will be connected to their relevant service manager within a single transferred call.
- Unified service management will be implemented to existing multinationals and major large domestic customers to offer more simplicity and consistency.
- A new project management service will be offered to multinational and large domestic customers in order to deliver integrated Orange Business Services offers.
- Orange Business Services' mobile customers will be able to buy broadband services in select markets (such as in the UK).

Long term promise
Converged technologies will open up new opportunities and transform the way companies do business. However convergence can bring complexity. Orange Business Services is taking customers on a journey towards IP transformation and growing the value of mobile services through solutions designed with simplicity.

Taking advantage of the world's largest IP network, customers will be able to use IP convergence to transform business processes, create new products and improve productivity.

Solutions will include collaborative tools that speed decision making by converging video, voice and data; machine to machine with enhanced fleet tracking systems that unite mobile, GPS and corporate data; and virtual switchboard systems that help teams of mobile and home workers maintain high standards of customer service.

Continuing to support existing customers
For the world's largest enterprises, Orange Business Services will continue to provide mobile, fixed and IP solutions, backed up by managed and outsourcing services. The company will also increasingly help customers maximize their investments in data applications by integrating communications networks with IT systems. Orange Business Services will maintain its reliability and high quality of customer support, supported by its 3,000 professional service experts.

In Europe, small and medium sized enterprises will benefit from services that extend beyond mobile, such as fixed telephony and broadband.

"Orange Business Services is more than the sum of its parts," said Lombard. "Customers will not only benefit from our combined expertise in IP networks and mobility. We are uniting France Telecom's heritage in innovation, Equant's global presence and the human touch that has made Orange one of the most valuable and recognised brands in the world. It means we can deliver a higher quality of service, not just a broader portfolio."

Footnote:

¹ The following France Telecom Group subsidiaries will also serve customers under the name Orange Business Services: Etrali, Almerys, EGT, Expertel Consulting, France Telecom Intelmatique, SETIB and Solicia.

About Orange Business Services

Orange Business Services represents the business communications solutions and services provided by the France Telecom Group. They include converged voice, data and mobile services as well as IT expertise and managed services, all designed to transform business processes and improve productivity. Orange Business Services is present in 166 countries and territories and serves customers in 220.

Source: Orange