2008

Paris and Hanoi, May 15, 2008

 

 

Orange Business Services, France Telecom Group’s division for worldwide enterprise services, and Vietnam Datacommunication Company (VDC), a leading telecommunications provider in Vietnam, have entered into a new commercial and technical partnership to offer advanced MPLS-based IP VPN services in Vietnam.

 

The advanced MPLS-based IP VPN services will offer local and multinational companies operating in Vietnam the unrivalled benefits of network convergence benefiting more mature markets. Organizations in Vietnam will be able to consolidate their voice, data and application traffic on a single network to improve efficiency and enhance business performance.

 

This agreement is an expansion of an existing 7-year partnership by Orange Business Services and Vietnam Datacommunication Company and demonstrates Orange Business Services’ commitment to bring sophisticated integrated communications services to Vietnam. In Vietnam where some global operators are just starting service, Orange is currently servicing 122 unique MNC customers, many with multiple connections, from various industry verticals such as airline, banking, government, manufacturing resources and logistics.

 

“Orange Business Services is a global communications integrator with a worldwide presence and key assets in mature as well as emerging markets,” said Yee-May Leong, Orange Business Services, senior vice president, Asia Pacific. “Our goal in Vietnam is to help business organizations leverage IT and telecoms to improve efficiency, create new business opportunities and enter new markets.”

 

“VDC and Orange Business Services have enjoyed a successful relationship in the data communications sector for seven years,” said Vu Hoang Lien, Vietnam Datacommunication Company. “This agreement strengthens our commitment to successfully meet the demands by business enterprises in Vietnam for advanced MPLS IP VPN services.”

 

Orange Business Services is recognized as a leader in the 2007 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Network Service Providers in Asia Pacific. Orange Business Services received the prestigious Frost & Sullivan 2007 Asia Pacific Data Communications Service Provider of the Year Award.

 

Other than Orange Business Services’ presence in Vietnam, the France Telecom Group has been operating in the country since 1997 in a partnership with VNPT and is contemplating active participation in future telecommunications sector developments in Vietnam.

 

Founded in Dec. 6, 1989 and being a state-owned corporation, VDC belongs to Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT). VDC operates mainly in the following fields:

- Data Transmission;

- Internet: Internet eXchange Provider (IXP), Internet Access Provider (IAP), Online Services Provider (OSP), Internet Content Provider (ICP);

- Networking services;

- Software Development;

- System Integration.

 

At present, VDC covers most of the data transmission services market (Frame Relay, VPN/MPLS), about 60 percent of the Internet services market share in Vietnam. VDC is also a leading company in the fields of software development and system integration in Vietnam.

 

Orange is the key brand of France Telecom, one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators. France Telecom serves more than 172 million customers in five continents as of March 31, 2008, of which two thirds are Orange customers. The Group had consolidated sales of 52.9 billion euros in 2007 (13 billion euros at March 31, 2008). As of March 31, 2008, the Group had 111.9 million mobile customers and 12 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.