Orange seeks out new horizons

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French-owned telecommunications provider Orange is seeking out new horizons for its global footprint and has started in South Africa.

Orange has launched a new subsidiary called Orange Horizons which aims to find new business opportunities in countries where the Group is not already present as a mass-market provider.

The company says these projects are aimed at leveraging its global reputation and providing new sources of revenue as well as improving customer loyalty without the need for significant investment.

The projects being rolled out by Orange include the launch of online stores selling telecoms-related equipment or airtime; the introduction of flexible travel solutions; or the launch of a virtual mobile operator (MVNO) activity.

 The first of these projects has already been launched in South Africa under the Orange Horizons banner. This comprises two websites: firstly an e-commerce website, http://store.orange.com/za, has been launched to sell telecoms-related devices and accessories.

This is combined with a country website, www.orange.com/za, which provides online content specifically tailored for a South African audience including news feeds, sports news and audiovisual content.

The launch of these services coincides with the start of the Orange Africa Cup of Nations, SOUTH AFRICA 2013 pan-African football tournament in which six countries, in which Orange is already present ,will be playing.

To increase interest and visibility, South African residents connecting to www.orange.com/za will be able to enter a contest to win tickets to several matches, including the final.

A similar e-commerce initiative has also been opened in Italy (http://store.orange.com/it), where the brand already enjoys a strong reputation. These two existing online stores already offer state-of-the-art telecoms and electronic equipment, and will soon also offer a variety of telecoms services including airtime for Orange customers visiting from other countries.

The Group’s footprint currently covers around 10 per cent of the world's population, leaving 6.2 billion people who could potentially become customers through Orange Horizons activities.

The Group plans to launch business ventures in several other countries in 2013 in Europe and Africa, and will also look at opportunities in South America in order to leverage existing content-related assets such as starMedia (a South American internet portal) for example.

During an interview on the launch of Orange Horizons, Elie Girard, Senior Executive Vice President of Strategy and International Development, said: “Orange Horizons is a very exciting project that fits perfectly in the Group’s overall Conquests 2015 strategy.

“Due to traditional migratory flows or cultural and professional ties, there are many countries where Orange is already very well-known despite not having an operational presence. We think there is strong potential to create a new source of revenues in these countries by leveraging awareness of the brand to propose very simple mass-market offers.”

Click on the link to watch the complete interview: www.orange-innovation.tv/en/webtv/international-en/europe/orange_horizons