Lionel Reina

'Orange was the brand that everybody knows, so it made sense to combine France Telecom, Equant and Orange under the same brand,' says Lionel Reina, Head of EEMEA, Orange Business Services. 'Equant was not known much outside the industry.

'So Orange will be the brand that business users in the Middle East will see from now on. France Telecom is hardly new in the region and we already have 500 customers as a base for expansion, of whom around 200 are in the UAE.'

Mr. Reina explains that France Telecom has an excellent reputation for quality and innovation, and that multinational and large local businesses increasingly want a single provider to address their telecom requirements. Orange Business Services will simplify communications by uniting the worlds of fixed and mobile, networks and IT services and outsourcing.

'We also have strong partnerships with local telcos like Etisalat and Batelco and we want to build on these relationships. New competition in local markets is making the sector more dynamic, innovative and cost conscious.

'Having a simplified and unified brand identity for France Telecom in the business market is symbolic of our approach. We know that all our clients really want are telecoms that work reliably and issue one bill which is correct.'

In the Middle East Orange Business Services hopes this strategy will win new clients in the financial services sector where formerly its Equant subsidiary was active.

'There is a phenomenal development of the local economy, and we think our expertise should be very useful to projects like the Dubai International Financial Centre which will have huge telecommunications infrastructure. It is the same for the other very large real estate projects in places like the UAE and Qatar.

'In Lebanon we have completed the Solidere neighborhood network, but we can also offer domestic broadband infrastructure and develop IP infrastructure for service providers.

'We are a long term partner of the Saudi Telecom Company and have 80 customers in the Kingdom, mainly multinational companies, and of course France Telecom is a major investor in Jordan Telecom.

'With the very rapid liberalization of the telecom sector, and local telecom operators transforming themselves into regional and even global players, there is a corresponding increase in demand for sophisticated, integrated communications solutions. This is where we are positioning the new Orange branding.'

Indeed, the Middle East is already the fastest growing region for Orange Business Services with growth of between 15 and 20 per cent over the past few years, and 35% growth in the top market, the UAE. But perhaps with its bright new branding this presence is now going to become more easily recognizable than in the past.