France Telecom is set to officially change its name to Orange on 1 July 2013, after the group’s shareholders approved the new name at an annual shareholders’ meeting.<\/p>\n
France Telecom-Orange reported sales of 43.5 billion euros in 2012 and has\u00a0170,000 employees worldwide at 31 March 2013, including 104,000 employees in France.<\/p>\n
Present in 32 countries, the Group has a\u00a0total customer base close to 230 million customers at 31 March 2013, including 172 million mobile customers and 15 million\u00a0broadband internet (ADSL, fibre) customers worldwide.<\/p>\n
In January, Orange\u00a0launched a new subsidiary called Orange Horizons in South Africa with the aim to seek out new business opportunities in countries where the group is not already present as a mass-market telecommunications provider.<\/p>\n
Since 2006, the group said it has gradually simplified its visual \u00a0identity in France and internationally for its various internal and \u00a0external stakeholders.<\/p>\n
“Orange is now the brand used by all of the \u00a0group\u2019s commercial operations (fixed, mobile, TV and internet) and \u00a0corporate activities,” it said.<\/p>\n
“Changing the name of the company and its \u00a0shares is a natural step in the process towards the simplification and \u00a0unity of the group\u2019s activities,” it added.<\/p>\n
As of 1 July 2013:<\/p>\n
Expansys, Orange tie-up explained<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Orange could offer voice and data in SA<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n