Mobile Phone Provider Profile

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Today we keep 57 million customers across 17 countries in touch. They're not just talking - Orange makes it easier for them to communicate in ways that are richer and more engaging.

From their work life to their home life, Orange customers have the flexibility to choose how and when they connect to people, information and entertainment. We spend a little time listening to them. That's the key to our future success.

Launched in 1994 Orange was the fourth entrant into an already crowded UK mobile phone market, with an ambitious aim: to become the first choice in mobile communications. It had to establish itself as radically different if it was to succeed. In April 1996 Orange plc shares (at 205p each) were listed on the London and Nasdaq markets, its initial public offering being ten times oversubscribed. In June 1996 Orange plc became the youngest company to enter the FTSE-100, and was valued at £2.4 billion.

By July 1997 Orange had gained 1 million customers. It also had the lowest churn rate, better margins than its competitors, and top ratings for customer satisfaction.

Having established a strong presence in the UK as the country’s fastest growing mobile communications company, Orange began its international expansion. Orange Communications SA was awarded a GSM 1800 licence in Switzerland in 1998, and launched its service in June 1999. Twelve months later, Orange took the number two spot in Switzerland..

Orange launched in Belgium, and by the end of 1999 had licensed its brand to companies in Hong Kong, Australia, Israel and India. Orange was launched in Hong Kong in September 1998, and went from fourth to first in the market within six months. In Israel, Orange gained over 400,000 customers in its first year, and is recognised as one of the biggest brands.

In 2003, Orange changed the way the mobile market operated, turning all of its 2000 UK retail staff into phone trainers, to enable customers to get the most out of their Orange phone. In 2004, Orange was the first UK network to provide its customers with full-length Music Player downloads. Today, Orange has 57 million customers across 17 countries.

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