Orange wins global networking and security contract with Rio Tinto

International mining group Rio Tinto has awarded Orange Business a five-year contract to deliver global networking and security services to more than 280 Rio Tinto sites around the world. The services support users in both global offices as well as remote mining locations such as Canga East in Guinea, Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia and Almaty in Kazakhstan.

This new contract will consolidate IT infrastructure, enhance network performance and further integrate global resources cost effectively. Building on a 10-year working partnership between the two companies, this contract will allow further consolidation of IT infrastructure and services while addressing developing business requirements and improving agility and flexibility.

Orange Business will provide WAN services including satellite access and network management, as well as secure Internet gateways and traffic optimization. These services will be provided under a dedicated service management structure, backed by global consulting and project management, and supported through a service catalog and order management portal.

Orange’s ability to provide services, networking and security on a global scale is a key component of the partnership. Rio Tinto required a service provider who could supply improved flexibility and agility to support its dynamic global business model and was looking for operational cost savings.

“Orange’s global capabilities deliver considerable value to Rio Tinto,” said Scott Singer, head of Global Business Services, Rio Tinto. “Over the past decade, Orange’s technology and service solutions have supported our divestment and acquisition activities. We look forward to continuing to work with them to support our growth program, especially in developing nations where we will leverage Orange’s far reaching network capabilities.”

The global mining industry has gone through significant change in the last decade. This includes consolidation through numerous M&As, changes in regulations, as well as the exploring of newer and deeper mining sites that were not accessible before. Managing these changes and maintaining operations on this scale requires communications services providers such as Orange to deliver not only strong global reach, but also highly secure and reliable service levels to ensure business continuity at all times.

“With 1,500 points-of-presence around the world, our high performance global network allows us to provide Rio Tinto with secure services and coverage any time, anywhere, whether terrestrially or over satellite,” said Gordon Makryllos, managing director, Orange Business Australasia. “We are committed to providing the highest level of service to Rio Tinto so they can continue in their tradition of operational excellence.”

About Rio Tinto
Rio Tinto is a leading international mining group headquartered in the U.K., combining Rio Tinto plc, a London and New York Stock Exchange listed company, and Rio Tinto Limited, which is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.

Rio Tinto's business is finding, mining, and processing mineral resources. Major products are aluminum, copper, diamonds, thermal and metallurgical coal, uranium, gold, industrial minerals (borax, titanium dioxide and salt) and iron ore. Activities span the world and are strongly represented in Australia and North America with significant businesses in Asia, Europe, Africa and South America.

About Orange Business
Orange Business, the France Telecom-Orange branch dedicated to B2B services, is a leading global integrator of communications solutions for multinational corporations. With the world's largest, seamless network for voice and data, Orange Business reaches 220 countries and territories with local support in 166. Offering a comprehensive package of communication services covering cloud computing, enterprise mobility, M2M, security, unified communications, videoconferencing, and broadband, Orange Business delivers a best-in-class customer experience across a global landscape. Thousands of enterprise customers and 1.4 million mobile data users rely on an Orange Business international platform for communicating and conducting business. Orange Business is a four-time winner of Best Global Operator at the World Communication Awards. Learn more at www.orange-business.com

France Telecom-Orange is one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators with 172,000 employees worldwide and sales of 45.3 billion euros in 2011. Orange is the Group's single brand for Internet, television and mobile services in the majority of countries where the company operates. France Telecom (NYSE:FTE) is listed on Euronext Paris (compartment A) and on the New York Stock Exchange.

Orange and any other Orange product or service names included in this material are trade marks of Orange Brand Services Limited, Orange France or France Telecom.