Long time customers of Wanadoo (formerly Freeserve) might be forgiven for forgetting who they’re connecting with after the company announced yet another rebranding.
Promising customers a “smooth changeover”, owners France Telecom will be bringing their Wanadoo service under the umbrella of their high-profile brand, Orange.
The move is part of a strategy to make Orange become “the Group’s international commercial brand for mobile, broadband and multiplay offerings”.
The well-recognised Freeserve name was taken over by Wanadoo just 14 months ago, but France Telecom insist that the latest rebrand will better reflect the portfolio of services to be offered.
These include combined mobile and internet access, a broadband telephone that tells with email notification and remote surveillance of your home through a mobile or a computer.
A spokesman for Freeserve, Wanadoo, Orange said: “The Wanadoo brand has been an enormous success enabling us to become a broadband leader in the UK. But we are now entering the era of convergence where our customers will experience a new generation of high value and exciting converged services.”
“These services will allow our customers to be able to communicate at home, at work or on the go. A single brand representing these integrated services – the Orange brand – is the way forward.”
The spokesman added that customer’s email services will be uninterrupted, with users still contactable whatever their domain name.
As convergence continues to impact in the teleco sector, France Telecom’s move should ensure that customers will get their mobile, broadband, video-on-demand and fixed line services all from the same company, slapped on the same bill.
If they’re not too confused, of course!