Paris and Singapore, June 4, 2009

 

Orange Business Services, France Telecom Group’s division for worldwide enterprise services and a leading information and communications technology provider, has been named Managed Service Provider of the Year as well as Data Communications Service Provider of the Year at the 2009 Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific ICT Awards. This is the second time in three years that Orange has been named Data Communications Service Provider of the Year.

 

The awards are testimony to Orange Business Services’ commitment to Asia Pacific and its exceptional focus on the business needs of its multinational enterprise customers. Orange Business Services recently enhanced its next-generation converged IP network in Asia Pacific to deliver greater coverage, capacity, performance and resilience to its customers. It integrates future-ready innovations like Multicast, IPv6 and Telepresence, as well as in-the-cloud application acceleration and security.

 

“Winning two prestigious Frost & Sullivan Awards for Managed Service Provider of the Year and Data Communications Service Provider of the Year is a tremendous honor for Orange Business Services,” said Yee-May Leong, senior vice president Asia Pacific, Orange Business Services. “The awards reinforce our leadership in the Asia Pacific market that is built on strong commitment to our customers and service excellence. We continue to invest in network expansion, technical expertise and innovative solutions to meet enterprise needs for greater cost control and rapid presence anywhere, anytime as the business requires.”

 

Asia Pacific senior vice president for ICT at Frost & Sullivan, Nitin Bhat, said:  “Orange Business Services undoubtedly has one of the most extensive network reach and strongest network backbones in Asia Pacific. The company’s robust network, complemented by its equally extensive global presence, dedicated 3,000-strong workforce in Asia-Pac, and strong suite of managed service offerings ensure that the company is able to deliver seamless and exceptional service and business value to its customers.

 

“Backed by its extensive list of innovations and partnerships, Orange looks certain to capitalize on its recent investments in enhancing its network capacity and data centers in the region, and maintaining its position as a leading provider of data communications and managed services in Asia Pacific,” he added.

 

Orange Business Services was measured against its competitors on a variety of actual market performance parameters, market share and growth in market share, leadership in product innovation, next-generation service strategy as well as breadth of products and solutions.

 

The Frost & Sullivan awards are presented to companies that demonstrate best practices and outstanding performance in areas such as market leadership, innovation and business strategies.

 

 

Orange is the key brand of France Telecom, one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators. With 123 million customers, the Orange brand now covers Internet, television and mobile services in the majority of countries where the Group operates. At the end of 2008, France Telecom had consolidated sales of 53.5 billion euros (12.7 billion euros for the first quarter of 2009) and at March 31, 2009, the Group had a customer base of almost 184 million customers in 30 countries. These include 123 million mobile customers worldwide and 13 million broadband Internet (ADSL) customers in Europe. Orange is the number three mobile operator and the number one provider of broadband Internet services in Europe and, under the brand Orange Business Services, is one of the world leaders in providing telecommunication services to multinational companies.

 

The Group's strategy, which is characterized by a strong focus on innovation, convergence and effective cost management, aims to establish Orange as an integrated operator and benchmark for new telecommunications services in Europe. Today the Group remains focused on its core activities as a network operator, while working to develop its position in new growth activities. To meet customer expectations, the Group strives to provide products and services that are simple and user-friendly, while maintaining a sustainable and responsible business model that can be adapted to the requirements of a fast-paced and changing eco-system.

 

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 Personal Communications Services Limited, Orange France or France Telecom.