Orange Business Services' largest regional network contract will connect 30 Carrefour sites across Middle East through global IP VPN
MAF Carrefour hypermarket (part of the UAE based Majid Al Futtaim Group) has awarded a network and managed services contract to connect its 30 sites in the Middle East to Orange Business Services, the business services arm of France Telecom. The four-year IP VPN (Internet Protocol Virtual Private Network) is worth several million US dollars and represents the largest deal of its kind (network/managed services) to be won by Orange Business Services in the Eastern Europe Middle East & Africa (EEMEA) region.
Mr Chris Mahiat, CIO of MAF Carrefour, says: "Over the last two years, MAF Carrefour has been working to develop and implement a new IT strategy to meet the rapidly developing needs of the expanding regional business, for central support for financial, ERP and communications applications. This agreement with Orange Business Services gives us access to a highly flexible network with regional and global reach and a comprehensive set of services which simplifies the management process and offers scalability. It's a new standard that can offer a platform for MAF Retail across the region."
MAF Carrefour plans to more than double the number of stores in the Middle East region by 2012. The company already employs over 2,500 staff in 30 stores in 11 countries in the Middle East region and serves 10 million shoppers.
Mr Ahmed Bahgat, Network & Telecom Manager for MAF Carrefour, adds: "The Orange Business Services adaptive MPLS network will deliver VPN connectivity making it easy for the MAF Carrefour network to expand and develop to meet evolving needs. The servers will sit in our Dubai headquarters."
The Orange VPN consists of multiple backbone, access, and router technology, tied together with a single network operation and management system. Using IP network technology will lead to an overall lowest cost network solution for MAF Carrefour that meets the performance needs of each of their sites. The associated security services will be hosted from the Orange Business Services data centre in France.
This contract will be managed under a Global Account Management agreement with the Carrefour account team in France.
Mr Lionel Reina, VP EEMEA for Orange Business Services, comments: "This network and managed services contract with MAF Carrefour reinforces the importance of global and regional reach, when it comes to connectivity solutions for multinational and large regional corporations. Orange Business Services has the world's largest IP VPN offering global connectivity to multinational companies worldwide and across the Middle East. We already work with more than 200 multinational companies in the region and more than 100 banks."
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About Orange
Orange is the key brand of France Telecom, one of the world's leading telecommunications operators. France Telecom serves more than 170 million customers in five continents as of December 31, 2007, of which two thirds are Orange customers. The Group had consolidated sales of 52.9 billion euros in 2007. As of December 31, 2007, the Group had 109.6 million mobile customers and 11.6 million broadband internet (ADSL) customers.
Launched in June 2005, the NExT program (New Experience in Telecommunications) will enable the Group to pursue its transformation as an integrated operator and make France Telecom the benchmark for new telecommunications services in Europe. In 2006, Orange became the Group's single brand for Internet, television and mobile services in the majority of countries where the company operates, and Orange Business Services the banner for services offered to businesses worldwide. France Telecom is the number three mobile operator and the number one provider of broadband internet services in Europe and one of the world leaders in providing telecommunication services to multinational companies.
France Telecom (NYSE:FTE) is listed on Euronext Paris and on the New York Stock Exchange.
For more information : www.orange.com, www.francetelecom.com, www.orange-business.com
Orange and any other Orange product or service names included in this material are trade marks of Orange Personal Communications Services Limited.
Press contact
Jonathan Walsh
WPR, Dubai
Mob: +971 (0)50-4588610
E-mail: jon@wprme.com
© Press Release 2008
