Orange Business will deploy unified communications services for Gemalto using Microsoft Lync

Orange Business announces the signing of a contract with Gemalto, a world leader in digital security, for the deployment of unified communications and collaboration services using the Microsoft Lync solution (instant messaging, unified messaging, presence, audio and Web conferencing and VoIP services). Currently in the pilot phase, this global project will eventually include all Gemalto employees, approximately 10,000 people across 148 sites in 45 countries.

In signing this contract, Orange Business confirms its expertise in Microsoft solution integration and demonstrates its ambition in the Voice and Unified Communications sector with Microsoft in both the French and international markets.

By deploying Business Together with Microsoft Lync, Gemalto seeks to facilitate collaboration between its staff across the various subsidiaries of the group and also to reduce the cost of internal communications and Web conferencing. With the centralized approach chosen by the Gemalto IT department, all subsidiaries of the group will be able to benefit from a reduced Total Cost of Ownership and optimization of telephony costs thanks to Least Cost Routing.

Cédric Parent, Marketing Director of Unified Communication & Collaboration, Orange Business, said:  “We are very happy with the confidence that Gemalto has shown in us to carry out this project. Gemalto was looking for a stakeholder capable of providing comprehensive expertise for the Microsoft Lync solution and who could guarantee a global deployment. This project represents a major step forward in our strategy of being the No.1 Microsoft telephony company in France.”

expertise in Microsoft solution integration
The performance of Orange Business was rewarded at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference held last July in Los Angeles. The operator and integrator was awarded the “Partner of the Year 2011 France” prize in recognition of the commercial success of its products using BPOS and Office 365. Orange Business currently has more than 1,000 customers, increasing its position as the principal global partner for Office 365. Thanks to the center of expertise provided by its subsidiary Alsy, the specialist Microsoft solutions integrator that was acquired in 2010, Orange Business is also “Voice Partner of the Year France” as a result of deploying the vast majority of the telephony contracts which use Microsoft technology in France. On its team, Alsy has one of the few Microsoft Certified Masters for Lync in France who is also the youngest ever.

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 170,000 employees worldwide and sales of 22.6 billion euros in the first semester 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.