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Paris, March 23, 2010 — Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU)
today announced the renewal of its existing managed services contract with the
Austrian mobile communications operator Orange. The three year contract has an
extension option of five years and will take effect on January 1st,
2011.
The renewed managed services contract reinforces Alcatel-Lucent’s commitment
as a trusted partner to help Orange Austria transform their business to meet
today’s demanding network and application requirements. Alcatel-Lucent’s
contractual services include the management, operation and maintenance of the
entire multi-vendor mobile network of Orange Austria that serves more than 2.1
million subscribers.
With its network activities managed by Alcatel-Lucent, Orange Austria is
able to concentrate on its core business, reduce its operating expenses and
ensure increased network quality. This relationship also ensures the
development and fast deployment of new user-oriented services and
solutions.
“It is important for us to ensure that we keep providing our customers with
a high-standard, reliable network”, explains Elmar Grasser, CTO Orange Austria.
“Alcatel-Lucent has been a competent partner for many years. Their expertise
and understanding of our needs as well as those of our customers will guarantee
that our network increases in quality over the long term.”
Alcatel-Lucent will bring Orange the experience gained from designing,
deploying, operating, maintaining and expanding more than 90 networks
supporting more than 220 million subscribers worldwide.
“By taking on the operations and maintenance of the Orange network,
Alcatel-Lucent helps them focus on what is key to them: their customers,” said
Harald Himmer, Head of Alcatel-Lucent’s activities in Austria. “This
demonstrates our determination to continue building our managed services
capabilities, and position ourselves as a strategic partner for our
customers.”
Orange is one of the major service providers around the world which rely on
Alcatel-Lucent for network operations, network integration, multi-vendor
maintenance, network outsourcing, applications integration and IP network
transformation. Other customers include AT&T, Vivacom, Bharti Airtel, and
BT Global Services.
About Orange in Austria
Orange Austria Telecommunication GmbH started on 26 October 1998 under the ONE
brand as third mobile telephony operator in Austria. In 2008 the company
achieved a mobile communications revenue of 592 million euro. At the end of
2009 market share amounted to 20 percent. About 800 employees take care of the
needs and wishes of about 2,1 million customers daily. The distribution network
in Austria comprises 93 Orange shops and approximately 1,700 distribution
outlets. In the recent network test of Europe’s biggest telecommunications
magazine Connect (12/09) the Orange network received an excellent grade (“Sehr
gut”) and was among the best within the German speaking countries.Orange in
Austria is owned by Mid Europa Partners (65 %) and Orange (35 %). The 100%
subsidiary YESSS! forms part of the Orange Austria Group. Moreover, Orange has
a 16.67 % stake in the paybox Austria GmbH and a 25.1 % stake in the eety
Telecommunications GmbH. Orange is the main brand of France Telecom, one of the
leading telecommunications companies worldwide. For further details on Orange
in Austria, please refer to www.orange.at.
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