Orange launches corporate FMC

Fixed Mobile Convergence offer from Orange aimed at larger SMEs

French mobile operator Orange has extended its consumer and SME fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) offering, Unik, to corporate customers.

Orange Business Services said its corporate Unik offering was "designed for businesses with more than 200 employees, and can support thousands of users with availability in over 200 countries".

Orange Business Services senior manager for solutions marketing Michael Burrell said, "Orange will set customers up with Alcatel or Cisco IP telephony onsite, and we'll manage the service for them." With Alcatel hardware, phone support is limited to Windows Mobile Smartphones, but with Cisco any dual-mode mobile phone can be used, said Burrell. Currently Unik corporate customers will not be able to use the phone over Orange Wi-Fi hotspots. "That'll be a future offer," added Burrell.

Unik would allow firms to integrate mobile and office phones, giving users one voicemail box and contactability through a single phone number, which would ring their office and mobile phones simultaneously.

The benefits touted by Orange are lower cost international calls routed over IP PBX using Business Talk Global together with a cheaper corporate dial plan, and increased productivity through use of advanced IP PBX call features.