BNP Paribas and Orange have formed a partnership and signed a trademark licence agreement to launch innovative mobile banking services in November 2011.
This strategic business partnership allows the groups to share expertise in their respective areas of excellence. It brings together the world of information and communication technologies and the world of banking. Starting in November, BNP Paribas customer advisors will be able to offer mobile banking services - unique in France - in all 2,250 branches (also available through Internet banking). Customers will be able to access the most innovative m-banking and m-payment services to manage their accounts and make payments using their mobile phones. The aim is to equip thousands of BNP Paribas customers with smartphones over a three-year period to combine the very best mobile services and banking services.
Innovation is a key factor of differentiation for the banking industry. As part of its Internet and Mobile acceleration programme, BNP Paribas was the first bank to be on the iPad in May 2010. It also created ‘La Net Agence' - the first completely on line branch, which now has over 12,000 customers. 2 Opéra, the BNP Paribas Concept Store, opened its doors in December 2010 and each month over 300,000 customers do their banking using their mobile phones. BNP Paribas was one of the first banks to offer contactless mobile payments services in Nice in June 2010 and has further invested in order to extend this pilot to other large French cities.
Orange wants to combine partner services, which in addition to their specific benefits are from well known and recognised brand, with it mobile telephone offers. This partnership is in line with Orange's ambition to develop new innovative services. The launch of the Citzy Pass in the spring of 2010 in Nice to develop new near field communication technologies (NFC) is also part of this approach.
When signing this partnership deal on 25 July, François Villeroy de Galhau, Head of Retail Banking in France, said: “Thanks to this partnership we are promoting new uses and we are creating a new way of managing bank transactions. Orange's expertise means that we can offer all our customers mobile banking and as a result of this inclusive and innovative offer, BNP Paribas has now become the first mobile bank in France”.
“For Orange, this partnership is an opportunity to explore new territories and to continue offering our customers more and more innovative services. It relies on Orange's and BNP Paribas' expertise to propose the best of both our worlds” explained Delphine Ernotte, Executive Vice President of Orange France.
About BNP Paribas
BNP Paribas (www.bnpparibas.com) is one of the strongest banks in the world*. The Group has a presence in more than 80 countries and more than 200,000 employees, including more than 160,000 in Europe. It ranks highly in its three core activities: Retail Banking, Investment Solutions and Corporate & Investment Banking. In Europe, the Group has four domestic markets (Belgium, France, Italy and Luxembourg) and BNP Paribas Personal Finance is the leader in consumer lending. BNP Paribas is rolling out its integrated retail banking model across the Europe-Mediterranean zone and boasts a large network in the western part of the United States. In its Corporate & Investment Banking and Investment Solutions activities, BNP Paribas also enjoys top positions in Europe, a strong presence in the Americas and solid and fast-growing businesses in Asia.
* Rated AA by Standard & Poor's i.e. 3rd rating level on a scale of 22.
About Orange
France Telecom-Orange is one of the world's leading telecommunications operators with 170,000 employees worldwide, including 102,000 employees in France, and sales of 11.2 billion euros in the first quarter 2011. Present in 35 countries, the Group had a customer base of 215.9 million customers at 31 March 2011, including 141.6 million customers under the Orange brand, the Group's single brand for internet, television and mobile services in the majority of countries where the company operates. At 31 March 2011, the Group had 156.7 million mobile customers and 13.9 million broadband internet (ADSL, fibre) customers worldwide. Orange is one of the main European operators for mobile and broadband internet services and, under the brand Orange Business Services, is one of the world leaders in providing telecommunication services to multinational companies.
With its industrial project, "conquests 2015", Orange is simultaneously addressing its employees, customers and shareholders, as well as the society in which the company operates, through a concrete set of action plans. These commitments are expressed through a new vision of human resources for employees; through the deployment of a network infrastructure upon which the Group will build its future growth; through the Group's ambition to offer a superior customer experience thanks in particular to improved quality of service; and through the acceleration of international development
France Telecom (NYSE:FTE) is listed on Euronext Paris (compartment A) and on the New York Stock Exchange.
For more information (on the internet and on your mobile): www.orange.com, www.orange-business.com, www.orange-innovation.tv
Orange and any other Orange product or service names included in this material are trade marks of Orange Brand Services Limited, Orange France or France Telecom.