Orange Business Services recognized for Outstanding performance in Telemark ICT Service Supremacy Report

Paris, March 12, 2008

 

The new ICT Service Supremacy report from Telemark Services Ltd, a leading market research firm, recognizes Orange Business Services as Outstanding in five key customer satisfaction attributes and the leader among network service providers.

In addition to coming in first in the Network Service Providers group, Orange Business Services customers rate us Outstanding in the following attributes:

• product reliability
• product fit for purpose
• people keep promises
• people get things done
• indispensable to customers

“We are very pleased to be recognized as the leader among network service providers in Telemark’s ICT Service Supremacy report,” said Alexandre Gouvêa, senior vice president, Customer Services & Operations, Orange Business Services. “In this report, we are recognized for getting things done, keeping promises and being indispensable to our customers – all of which are the attributes we strive for by keeping the customer at the center of everything we do. In 2008, we are renewing our focus on being outstanding in delivering our services.”

The purpose of Telemark’s ICT Service Supremacy report is to learn about best practice in the ICT market from the user perspective. It sets out to measure Outstanding Customer Experience and compare competitors. In total 1,487 evaluations were conducted by telephone with decision makers from multinational enterprises between Dec. 1, 2006 and Nov. 30, 2007, reflecting the entire experience in dealing with suppliers. Over 70 suppliers were identified with 24 profiled in detail covering traditional groups:  Computer Manufacturers; Software Suppliers; Network Service Providers; Equipment Providers; and System Integrators.

“Orange Business Services is benchmarked against traditional and non-traditional competitors to assess the quality of the customer experience,” explains Janet Watkin, director of Telemark. “The results of Telemark's study show that Orange is ranked in the Top 10 group of ICT solution providers and that it leads its traditional rivals overall by occupying the No. 1 slot for customer satisfaction in its group.”

As an industry, the ICT sector is multifaceted with many converging and complementary interests shared by IT and Telecoms companies. To determine best practice Telemark measures user perceptions of a diverse group of large business enterprises. By taking this approach lessons can be learned from success achieved outside the usual confines of directly competitive comparisons.

About Telemark Services

Telemark is a fast growing marketing services firm offering consultancy, publications and online analysis with proven expertise in measuring customer satisfaction, competitive analysis, benchmarking, trend analysis, channel management, new product development, demand estimates, branding, tariff analysis, and business strategy, exclusively within the telecommunications and IT sectors. An experienced team with decades of independent market research experience in the expanding market for voice, data and vision, Telemark is often the first-choice supplier for many organizations with a requirement for international market research and analysis covering emerging technologies such as VoIP, convergence and hosting applications. For more information, please visit www.telemarkservices.com or email info@telemarkservices.com.

About Orange

Orange is the key brand of France Telecom, one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators. France Telecom serves more than 170 million customers in five continents as of December 31, 2007, of which two thirds are Orange customers. The Group had consolidated sales of 52.9 billion euros in 2007. As of December 31, 2007, the Group had 109.6 million mobile customers and 11.6 million broadband internet (ADSL) customers.

Launched in June 2005, the NExT program (New Experience in Telecommunications) will enable the Group to pursue its transformation as an integrated operator and make France Telecom the benchmark for new telecommunications services in Europe. In 2006, Orange became the Group's single brand for Internet, television and mobile services in the majority of countries where the company operates, and Orange Business Services the banner for services offered to businesses worldwide. France Telecom is the number three mobile operator and the number one provider of broadband internet services in Europe and one of the world leaders in providing telecommunication services to multinational companies.

France Telecom (NYSE:FTE) is listed on Euronext Paris and on the New York Stock Exchange.