The new brand will represent Equant BV's international IP communication and IT services, as well as Paris-based France Telecom's enterprise communications services and Orange wireless business services, said Mack Treece, president of Orange Business Services Americas in Atlanta. France Telecom finalized the purchase of Equant in May 2005.

"It will be the convergence of wireless and wireline, voice and data with one sales phone number and one service rep in 220 countries -- whatever the customer needs," Treece said.

France Telecom will continue to service the French consumer segment, while Orange will continue to be the brand selling wireless services to consumers in Europe, he said.

Orange Business Services will have 29,000 employees, with 3,000 service experts, he said. In the U.S., the Orange Business Services unit will provide customers with wireless service through Cingular Wireless, but billing and services will still be unified through Orange, Treece added.

Equant has about 1,200 customers in the U.S., and all will become part of the Orange Business Services offering, he said.