Orange Business Services helps enable global collaboration for AkzoNobel

three-year, multimillion euro contract for fully managed Cisco TelePresence solution

Paris and Amsterdam - AkzoNobel, the largest global paints and coatings company and a major producer of specialty chemicals, and Orange Business Services have signed a three-year, multimillion euro deal for the global rollout of a 15-site, fully managed Cisco TelePresence solution. This contract includes network upgrades, equipment, global deployment, maintenance, 24/7 end-to-end managed services, and concierge support for AkzoNobel employees. Fifteen main office sites will be equipped with TelePresence services, in countries such as Canada, The Netherlands, Sweden and the U.K., along with office sites in emerging markets such as Brazil, China and India.


advantages of managed TelePresence
The Cisco TelePresence solution from Orange Business Services will enable AkzoNobel to increase its employee productivity and further its employee development program. TelePresence will facilitate collaboration on a global scale between project teams, will allow improved access to training and remote learning programs, as well as experts, while maintaining a balance between employees’ professional and private lives. It will also facilitate acquisition integration. The company anticipates that the solution will be funded by significant savings in travel costs and efficient time management among other factors, and will help to reduce the company’s carbon footprint and energy consumption, further contributing to AkzoNobel’s leading position on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index.


Pieter Schoehuijs, CIO, AkzoNobel, said: “In line with our strategy, this focused investment will help us further sharpen our competitive edge, enhance our frontrunner role in innovation and contribute to our talent management program. Over the past years, Orange Business Services has proven to be a reliable and innovative partner and is best positioned to implement this highly visible project and manage the ongoing service.”


collaboration and partnership
This agreement is the result of a successful seven-year collaboration between AkzoNobel and Orange Business Services. Throughout the years, Orange has provided AkzoNobel with a variety of managed services. Orange achieved Cisco Managed Services Master Certification worldwide for Managed TelePresence, and its ITIL®-based service management has been ISO certified. Its Telepresence Community opens up the ability for AkzoNobel to hold business-to-business telepresence sessions with its suppliers, distributors and customers.


Dr. Helmut Reisinger, senior vice president for Europe, Orange Business Services, said: “This agreement proves that we are a capable and trusted partner who can deliver high-impact services, such as TelePresence, which have a direct bottom-line and top-line benefit on AkzoNobel’s business. In this case we are leveraging best practices of both Orange and Cisco to accelerate adoption of TelePresence within the AkzoNobel culture. This will help AkzoNobel achieve its business objectives faster, by accelerating return on investment and realizing productivity gains.”


About Orange Business Services
Orange Business Services, the France Telecom-Orange branch dedicated to B2B services, is a leading global integrator of communications solutions for multinational corporations. With the world’s largest, seamless network for voice and data, Orange Business Services reaches 220 countries and territories with local support in 166. Offering a comprehensive package of communication services covering cloud computing, enterprise mobility, M2M, security, unified communications, videoconferencing, and broadband, Orange Business Services delivers a best-in-class customer experience across a global landscape. Thousands of enterprise customers and 1.4 million mobile data users rely on an Orange Business Services international platform for communicating and conducting business. Orange Business Services is a four-time winner of Best Global Operator at the World Communication Awards. Learn more at www.orange-business.com


France Telecom-Orange is one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators with 170,000 employees worldwide and sales of 22.6 billion euros in the first semester 2011. Orange is the Group’s single brand for Internet, television and mobile services in the majority of countries where the company operates. France Telecom (NYSE:FTE) is listed on Euronext Paris (compartment A) and on the New York Stock Exchange.