As part of its commitment to delivering the new workspace where all communications tools are unified, Orange Business Services is supporting companies requiring global enterprise unified communications (UC) and voice services based on Microsoft^® Lync^® 2013, the latest release of the Microsoft enterprise-ready unified communications platform.

Orange Business Services provides Microsoft Lync-based unified communications services as part of Business Together, its suite of integrated or managed collaborative services that exploit the benefits of unified communications and collaboration to improve enterprise productivity.

With the Microsoft Lync 2013 release, customers will benefit from enhanced functionality and capabilities whether working remotely, in the office, or a combination of both. Implementation of new Lync 2013 functionality – like multiparty HD video, mobile voice and video (3G/4G/Wifi) and Web clients, social capabilities and Skype federation – helps raise team productivity by providing reach and seamless communication. Business Together Microsoft UC services, a combination of Orange Business Services’ infrastructure incorporating Lync Server 2013 and support services, will help to ensure users enjoy a great Lync 2013 experience. Orange Business Services offers Business Together Microsoft UC services in Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, and most high-growth markets, and plans to add additional locations.

Orange Business Services took the opportunities offered by Lync 2013 as a basis to develop new services for its Business Together solutions:

• Business Together Microsoft Integrated UC – provides expert Lync voice support for customer-operated Lync 2013 Server. Orange Business Services provides comprehensive support services for Lync-based enterprise voice solutions including cross-vendor resolution and on-site support with global 24 hours a day, 7 days a week coverage.
• Business Together Microsoft Managed UC – Orange Business Services provides hosted Lync as a Service to further simplify the adoption of UC technologies for enterprises by providing cloud-based managed solutions for Microsoft Lync Server on a pay-by-user basis.
• Business Together voice pilot service – To help enterprises evaluate how Lync 2013 Server can be best utilized in their organization to help facilitate the workspace of the future, Orange Business Services offer a low-cost pilot option to enterprises enabling them to easily assess the benefits of Lync 2013 enterprise voice solutions.

“End-to-end support provided on a global basis by a single provider reduces the complexity of a global voice services deployment,” said Paul Molinier, vice president, Unified Communications & Collaboration, Orange Business Services. “Supporting several hundred customers with more than 1.2 million IP phones, Orange Business Services has 10 years of experience helping organizations tailor the best UC strategy to meet their specific goals. Orange Business Services can support multinational enterprises that want to use a unified communications solution based on Microsoft Lync at all of their sites, no matter where they are located, and maintain the quality throughout the lifecycle of the service.”

“As enterprises move from legacy PBXs to Lync-based unified communications Microsoft looks forward to working closely with Orange Business Services as a certified Microsoft Premier Support Lync Partner,” said Giovanni Mezgec, Microsoft general manager for Lync. “Building on its long-term relationship with Microsoft and other Microsoft Lync ecosystem partners, Orange Business Services can effectively support enterprises that are transitioning from a traditional PBX solution to a unified communications solution based on Microsoft Lync, whether that means expert voice operational support or a full as-a-service hosted ‘in the cloud’ Microsoft Lync solution.”

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 was awarded three of the telecom industry’s highest accolades at the annual World Communication Awards 2012 – Best Global Operator, Best Cloud Service and the User’s Choice Award. Orange Business Services is a five-time winner of Best Global Operator. Learn more at www.orange-business.com

France Telecom-Orange is one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators with sales of 45.3 billion euros for 2011 and has 170,000 employees worldwide at Sept. 30, 2012. 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.

Orange and any other Orange product or service names included in this material are trademarks of Orange Brand Services Limited, Orange France or France Telecom. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.