32
Annual Report -
2013
-
Vivendi
Group Profile |
Businesses
| Litigation | Risk Factors
1
SFR
the aim of enhancing attractiveness and local coverage while increasing
network speeds and performance. It offers local authorities training
opportunities in deploying telecommunications networks. It designs,
builds and operates these networks. Lastly, it supports local authorities
in their plans to develop new digital uses (in the areas of community
assistance, education, transportation or parking).
Currently, SFR is the operator managing the largest number of public
initiative networks, with a market share of over 50%.
In 2013, it contributed to the development of very high-speed local
networks by signing various cooperative agreements, specifically
with the urban communities of Greater Lyon and Marseille Provence
Métropole.
In addition, SFR has combined efforts with the Government, the urban
community of the Lille Metropole and Orange by signing the first “France
Very High-Speed” agreement to deploy the FTTH network throughout the
entire area of the Lille Metropole.
2.5.5.
2013 Highlights, Responsibilities and Commitments
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2.5.5.1. 2013 Highlights
In January, SFR reduced the prices of its
Formules Carrées
and
Séries Red
contracts to provide the best market offerings.
At the end of January, SFR launched 4G in the Paris-La Défense
business district.
In March, Suez Environnement and SFR Business Team signed a
global strategic partnership to develop technology solutions for the
city of tomorrow.
In early July, SFR joined forces with European suppliers of business
hosting solutions.
Also in July, Bouygues Telecom and SFR entered into exclusive
negotiations to share a portion of their mobile networks.
In late August, SFR covered all of Paris with 4G.
In September, SFR enhanced its SFR TV application: video on
demand is now available on mobiles and tablets.
In early October, SFR enhanced “the SFR Set-Top Box” with 1-Gbit/s
VDSL and fiber technology.
Also in October, SFR performed the first LTE-Advanced experiments
in France.
At the end of October, the urban community of the Lille Metropole
and the operators Orange and SFR combined efforts to make
the Lille metropolitan area a leading region for very high-speed
networks.
In November, SFR launched the SFR TV set-top box with Google Play.
At the end of December, SFR had covered 40% of the population
with 4G, in 1,200 towns and cities.
Also in December, SFR and RATP launched 4G on Line A
of the Paris RER.
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2.5.5.2. Responsibility and Commitments
In order for the ongoing digital revolution to benefit everyone, regardless
of their personal circumstances, SFR is committed to expanding the
Connexions Solidaires
program, co-created with Emmaüs Connect, into
several French cities (Grenoble, Lyon, Marseille and Saint-Denis in 2013)
to enable disadvantaged persons to stay connected by telephone and
Internet. The operator is continuing its efforts to start and assist debate
and discussion among local authorities, associations and startups, in
the hope of enhancing initiatives taken and thinking on how to promote
the digital city. A program of traveling public meetings took place in
seven cities in France throughout 2013. It enhances the offering to
customers who are deaf or hearing impaired by offering a data booster
to allow them to access a customized service. SFR also renewed its
call for “collaborative digital” projects by the SFR Foundation to support
vulnerable population groups, and is continuing the SFR
Jeunes Talents
Entrepreneurs Sociaux
(Young Talent, Social Entrepreneurs) program.
As the owner of its own network infrastructure and data centers, SFR
brings individuals, businesses and local authorities tangible solutions
that favor a “carbon-free” economy (home automation, cloud computing,
telephone and video conferencing as well as Machine-to-Machine
applications).
In 2013, the operator published the total greenhouse gas emissions for
all its activities with an emission reduction plan focused on controlling
the consumption of energy by technical equipment and on optimization
of travel. More focused attention is being given to strategic sites (data
centers), and a guide containing the “Ten Golden Rules for Software
Architecture for Hosting Rooms” for these sites was widely distributed
for this purpose.
SFR’s cloud service allows its business and local government customers
to benefit from this approach involving the management of energy costs,
by limiting the number of servers and computer hardware they operate.
With the extremely rapid growth in data exchange, SFR remains
committed to the security of its customers’ data, particularly through
the cloud it has developed, and by strengthening its solutions against
spamming and phishing (a technique used by identity thieves to collect
personal information and then present themselves as trustworthy sites).
Through its authentication services, SFR monitors access to sensitive
data. Located in France and subject to French law (“sovereign cloud”),
its services afford complete protection and integrity for strategic data,
secured from start to finish. Networks and data centers create an
impermeable unit to guarantee the security of business data along the
entire route.
In the area of healthcare, SFR closely monitors scientific works and the
positions of healthcare authorities concerning radio frequencies, with
a view to monitoring and transparency, and is continuing its efforts to
inform its customers of usage precautions.
On November 28, 2012, SFR announced a reorganization plan to
support its strategic development. In this context, its social partners
provided opinions on the reorganization plan and on an agreement
relating to employee assistance measures. These were compiled into a
professional mobility plan (PMP), defining the methodology, guarantees
for an internal mobility plan, and measures for a voluntary retirement
plan. The PMP started on April 11 and closed on August 31, 2013. As
a responsible employer, SFR has made commitments during the plan
period for each volunteer worker to find a solution that meets his or
her professional situation (please see Chapter 2, Section 3.1.3. of this
document).
