Today Didier Lombard, France Telecom's Chairman and CEO, presented the Group's programme for 2006 - 2008 to employees, the financial community and the press. NExT (New Experience in Telecom services) will give customers access to a universe of services that are both high value and simple. The programme will also enable the Group to pursue its transformation as an integrated operator, supported by its renewed model for profitable growth. In 2006, France Telecom will roll out a single portal to provide its clients a simpler interface and a "unified customer experience" when accessing the Group's services. This portal, adapted to each client, can be accessed using a variety of terminals, not only computers. The single portal will act as a simple and practical interface with all the services of the France Telecom Group. As part of its transformation plan, France Telecom announced a 25 percent increase in employee training efforts and a reinforced staff incentive programme. France Telecom is one of the world's leading telecommunications carriers, with more than 126 million customers on the five continents (220 countries and territories) at March 31, 2005 and consolidated revenues of 46.16 billion euros for 2004 (under IFRS GAAP).
What was once a simple, unidirectional flow of electricity from centralized power plants to passive consumers is evolving into a complex, intelligent network where millions of distributed resources actively participate in grid operations. This transformation, powered by smart grid technologies, represents one of the most significant infrastructure shifts of our time. It promises to reshape how we generate, distribute, and consume energy. At its core, the smart grid represents far more than mere digitization of existing infrastructure. This bi-directional capability is fundamental to understanding why smart grids are becoming the backbone of modern energy systems, facilitating everything from real-time demand response to the integration of renewable energy sources. Smart Grid Market Development By 2030, smart grid technologies are projected to cover nearly half of the global electrical grid, up dramatically from just 24 percent in 2025. This expansion is underpinned by explosive gr...