Abstract
France Telecom S.A. is one of the world's leading and largest telecommunications operators in the world. It is the main telecommunications company in France, and the third largest in Europe. The French Telecom/Orange Group is also a world leader in telecommunications services for multinational companies under the Orange Business Services brand.
Before 1988, France Telecom was known as the “Direction Generale des Telecommunications”, a division of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications. In 1990, the DGT became autonomous from the French Government: it became a corporation (still public), with an autonomous financing management. Later on, the DGT changed to ‘France Telecom' and was privatized in 2004, leaving the French Government with a 27% stake.
Today, and since the setting up of the “NeXt Plan”, most of France Telecom's activities are gathered under the brand “Orange”. Implemented in 2004, the NeXt Plan aims at reducing the costs and merging all France Telecom's brands under a unique one: Orange; except for the fixed activities that remain under the name “France Telecom”.
To offer customers access to communication, France Telecom uses multiple platforms: fixed line telephone, broadband access, mobile phone telephony and IPTV (Internet Protocol Television).
It didn't take a long time for the French company to become well known across the world. Nowadays, the telecommunications giant is expanding its business and is gradually becoming a global enterprise. In 2007, France Telecom invested in new areas through its geographical presence and services to other areas of business like content, health and the public.
Orange provides mobile, internet and fixed telecommunication services and has 203 million customers in 32 countries. It currently employs about 90,000 people in France and 162,850 worldwide (2010). In 2009, the company's revenue reached €46.19 Billion.
