Orange launches Alliance partnership programme

French incumbent Orange has launched a partnership programme through which it intends to offer scale benefits and wholesale services to smaller operators. The first operators to sign up to the Orange Alliance programme are French-Polynesian firm Vini and third-placed Portuguese player Zon Optimus. Orange said that it is in negotiation with operators in other countries and expects to announce further Alliance members in “the coming months”.

Orange said that the diversity of its footprint has forced it to develop expertise across a range of different market types and that it is now looking to export this to markets outside of its own operation. The firm said it will offer “tailor-made services and support” to partners as well as access to existing Orange products and services, including international roaming. Procurement assistance for both handsets and service platforms will also be available, as well as access to Orange’s internal management training programmes.

“Through the Orange  Alliance program, we hope to support the growth of third-party operators  by providing them with access to high-value services based on the  Group’s extensive experience and know-how as one of the world’s largest  telecoms operators,” said Élie Girard, senior executive vice president  of strategy & development at Orange. “As it grows, the program will  form a community of operators that will benefit our development strategy and increase the visibility of Orange across the world.”

Orange Alliance is reminiscent of the Vodafone Partners programme, which has been in place for over a decade. Vodafone has partnerships of varying depth, some of which extend to the adoption of the Vodafone brand, something that is not covered by the new Orange initiative. Partnership is a far more cost effective way of extending an operator’s presence than direct investment and, in this case, of driving carrier services revenues.