Internet-of-Things(IoT)/M2M and mobile financial services are two major business verticals in which Orange, one of the world's leading telecommunication operators, will be intensifying its initiatives over the next five years, as part of the Group's diversification strategy. The Orange Group, which has presence in 29 countries and which has a total customer base of 244 million, primarily mobile customers, unveiled this and several other major prongs for its 5 year strategy plan, the 'Essentials2020', which builds on its 'Conquest 2015', stipulated in 2010.
The diversification strategy will see Orange expanding its IoT/M2M brand - the Homelive, which boasts more than 10,000 customers and at the same time, enhancing its mobile financial services by growing further its Orange Money service in Africa and the Middle East where it already has 13 million users, projecting to reach 30 million users by 2018. Orange will also extend its Orange Cash and NFC technology for payment services, and Orange Finanse service in Poland for Mobile Banking and will be launching similar services in France and Spain by 2018. Together, Orange expects its diversified business portfolio to rake in revenues of over one billion euros to the Group's revenues by 2018.
The Group, which expects its revenues to rebound in 2018 after a projected slowdown over the next 3 years, said that it will be investing more than 15 billion euros in its networks from 2015 to 2018. The investment, it says, will see its average data speeds tripling on both its fixed and mobile networks by 2018, compared to 2013 and will increase its 4G mobile coverage across its footprint to more than 95% by 2018, with more 4G launches expected in the EMEA region.
Within its fixed offerings, Orange said that it will beef up its TV services, especially with the acquisition of Jazztel, which the group says will enable it to reach 10 million connectable homes by the end of 2016 as well as with the launch of TV offering via cable connectivity in the Belgium market this year. The Group's new TV interface, Polaris and its TV stick which is already introduced in Romania, will be another step forward in the expansion of the Group's digital services, said Orange.
In reinventing customer relationship, Orange says its focus over the next 5 years will be on customer uses and experience, and will be customizing its services to meet user needs and expectations. Apart from introducing a single Orange customer service number in France in 2016, Orange will also beef up its Big Data capabilities as means to provide an immediate access into subscriber information and relationship with the company. The company aims to digitalize 50% of its interactions with customers by 2018, compared to just 30% at present.
Apart from growing and developing its retail business, Orange is also positioning itself as a partner for companies’ digital transformation, with its business services arm, Orange Business Services, increasing its presence in the integrated IT and connectivity services. It outlines the following four areas, in addition to connectivity, that will shape up its enterprise business focus, namely development of mobile, flexible and collaborative work tools, improvement of sectorial processes, particularly related to connected objects and applications, private and hybrid cloud for multinationals and cyber-defence.
read more on Orange Business Services Takes On the Connected Car With Integrated Solutions and Extended Global Partnerships
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