Paris, May 18, 2009

 

 

Orange, through Orange Business Services –- its division for enterprise customers, leads the sustainable telecoms market, according to a ground-breaking report published today by Verdantix, an independent analyst firm that provides commercial analysis of climate change, sustainability and energy issues.

 

“Among Europe’s leading telecoms operators, only Orange stands out as a firm that has made deep and broad commitments to launch innovative sustainability offerings for their customers,” said David Metcalfe, Verdantix director and telecoms industry veteran.

 

To clarify the alternatives in the emerging market for sustainable telecoms, Verdantix compared Europe’s nine leading telecoms operators on 53 criteria using its proprietary Green Quadrant ^® methodology. As part of the research, Verdantix conducted in-depth interviews with a focus group of 15 senior telecoms and IT buyers who also have responsibility for sustainability.

 

Orange was recognized for its commitment to investing in sustainability solutions, proven customer successes and sustainability focused extensions to existing solutions. Verdantix found that Orange’s internal sustainability performance satisfies customers’ environmental procurement criteria which is now a standard requirement across the market.

 

“We are very proud to be the only Leader in the Green Quadrant published in the Verdantix report,” said Marc Fossier, Executive Vice President, Chief Corporate Social Responsibility Officer, Orange Group. “The green agenda presents an opportunity for Orange to demonstrate to our customers a strong portfolio of solutions that contribute to the reduction of their CO ₂ emissions, while bringing business benefits, such as:  our collaboration and Telepresence solutions, teleworking and flexible working solutions enabled by our market-leading Business Everywhere suite, data center consolidation and virtualization, fleet management, machine-to-machine, sustainability consulting and others. We are committed to helping our customers find genuine efficiencies and using technology to create innovative, greener ways to do business.

 

 

Verdantix is an independent analyst firm that helps P&L owners and change leaders with unique commercial analysis of climate change, sustainability and energy issues. For more information please visit www.verdantix.com 

 

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.