Orange | July 26, 2011 | Press Release
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.
