Digital technology holds immense promise, so long as it has a positive social and environmental impact. That’s why we have a responsible approach to innovation, while ensuring as many people as possible can take advantage of it.
“Open a field of possibilities”
In a rapidly changing digital world, technology opens up new possibilities every day. Orange is committed to enabling digital transformation now and in the future through connectivity, 5G, large-scale IoT, Artificial Intelligence and more.
As technology gradually changes how we live and work, as well as the world around us, it is opening up a huge field of possibilities. This is also a great opportunity for Orange and partners to innovate, offer useful new services to customers, and streamline, optimise and enrich their digital experience.
Our innovation approach
The teams at Orange are united in their “human inside” philosophy to technology. As part of an open innovation approach, we’re joining forces with many tech players in the ecosystem to accelerate future solutions. Our research and innovation teams are part of a large, collaborative community of researchers, engineers, designers, developers, data scientists, sociologists, graphic designers, marketing professionals and cybersecurity experts.
> Data and AI Ethics Council: representing responsible AI
These teams work closely with our partners, ecosystems and stakeholders in the tech sector to speed up our time-to-market and make the most of our networks.
This includes forging co-innovation projects with start-ups, developers, large industrial groups, standards bodies, educational institutions and academia.
To ensure a simple, intuitive and locally relevant experience, we combine a global and local approach:
Staying ahead in the race requires us to make large-scale investments, deploy cost-effective infrastructure, attract key skills and also forge partnerships with web giants such as the GAFA and more.
Remaining agile allows us to stay in direct contact with our local ecosystems so that we can respond in a relevant way to market and customer needs in all of our operating countries.
Promoting digital equality
More and more processes and activities can now be completed online, from manufacturing to collaboration, remote learning, employment and public services – and the trend is expanding to health, energy, legal services and more.However, half of the world’s population still have no access to the internet and a third have no mobile phone. Technological progress, while opening up new opportunities, also creates inequalities.
Providing innovative technical solutions to extend our network coverage in rural communities in Europe and Africa.
Launching products such as the 3G Sanza aimed at improving digital inclusion in Africa by offering smartphone-type features on a low-cost phone. The Sanza won the “Best Connected Consumer Device” award on 13 November 2019 at the AfricaCom tradeshow in Cape Town, South Africa.
Offering a range of products and services that support people with disabilities and promote autonomy.
Sustainable innovation
The Group aims to achieve net carbon zero by 2014, 10 years ahead of the GSMA, despite ever-increasing data traffic on our networks. This will involve a 50% use of renewables in the Group’s energy mix consumption by 2025, as well as an unprecedented effort to improve our energy efficiency. Since 2010, the Orange Green ITN initiative has been progressively optimising infrastructure and operational processes to reduce the energy consumption of our networks and IT equipment, and this will continue through the Green ITN2025 program.
By 2025, all Orange-branded products will follow an eco-design approach. Already, for many years we have incorporated environmental efficiency from the start of the product lifecycle. The Livebox 5, launched in 2019 to boost fibre speeds, offers a reduced carbon footprint through a 100% plastic shell, lighter and smaller design, fewer electronic components (which facilitates repairs and recycling) and passive ventilation. We’ll continue to promote its circular economy and eco-design approach as part of our strategic plan.
Orange R&D: a key strength throughout the ages
We rely on our research teams to explore groundbreaking technologies, new uses and innovative business models as well as to deploy future networks and services. Aware that today’s ecosystem is more open and global than ever, we interact closely with innovative, academic, institutional and industrial ecosystems and co-develop solutions in collaboration with a range of external stakeholders. The ability to learn new skills, engage in dynamic ecosystems, develop high-quality IP and test new technological systems remains a highly valuable asset for Orange past, present and future.
N°1
European operator in terms of patents filed, with 230 innovations protected in 2019.
We have an active portfolio of 7,900 patents and patent applications in France and abroad, protecting our innovations and contributions to international standards development (5G, video coding, etc.), as well as Open Source solutions for futur infrastructure.
740
Researchers and 135 doctorate and post-doc research roles contributing a wide variety of skills
(radio, fibre optics, software, cloud, Big Data, AI, security as well as sociology, economics and design...).
7
high-level scientists of international renown, making up our Scientific Council.
It consists in an advisory body whose purpose is to make recommendations on the Group's research policy.
Co-innovation: proactive and collaborative development through a whole world of initiatives
As part of a cocreation approach,we interact closely with partners ecosystems and external stakeholders to develop a wide range of innovative solutions.These help us make the most of our networks while ensuring a simple and intuitive customer experience. Our vision is one of open innovation, with the customer at its core.
Network resilience
Since the beginning of the health crisis, networks have been under immense pressure due to remote working, distance learning, watching videos and other on-demand services. Yet they have held up, as Brigitte Cardinael points out at a Research Exhibition conference. This is because they are resilient.
The Director of Software Infrastructure Research helps us understand the notion of network resilience in under a few minutes. It is defined as the ability to cope with unforeseen events or shocks, while continuing to deliver the service. In the era of 5G, which is likely to provide critical services, what are the technological challenges and stakes? What actions are we taking in Research? Multifaceted crises, the need for dynamic network management, cascade effects, to name a few. This video explains why new research is needed to guarantee this resilience.
Metaverse: building tomorrow’s internet is already underway
The term “metaverse” is regularly used to describe how we’ll interact on the web in the future – with 3D, and persistent, interconnected, and immersive virtual spaces accessible via a mobile, PC or VR headset. Although this version is not yet a reality, it is being built today, in stages, in line with how our uses are evolving.
The metaverse brings many challenges in addition to the technologies needed for the low latency networks that will support them. The aim is to build one or more open, interoperable, and trustworthy metaverses, based on consistent standards and European values.
At Orange, our teams are already preparing the route to adopting the metaverse and are ready to meet the challenges ahead. We’re collaborating on creating new standards and norms to address essential issues including security, interoperability, data protection, and sovereignty. We’re also taking a social approach to establish a metaverse that adheres to our responsible and ethical vision, which matters a lot to us in terms of reflecting our purpose.