Esat Group is re-named Esat BT

vinnyfitz · 11-07-2002 8:57am #1

Their statement issued yesterday suggests they are not pulling out of residential markets in particular they say:

"The company says it is already aggressively championing the national rollout of broadband (DSL) services for both business and residential markets. "

Full text::
"BT’s Irish subsidiary the Esat Group has today (Wednesday) announced that it is to be re-named Esat BT.

The company, which operates in business and residential markets in Ireland, says the statement is a further signal of its strategy and commitment to strengthen and formalise the working relationship it has in place with its parent company BT.

The group says it recently announced the connection of the company’s domestic network into the BT international network - positioning itself, it claims, as the only communications company in Ireland capable of offering a wholly-owned, seamless global service.

Esat’s corporate and consumer divisions - Esat Business and Esat Fusion - will now operate under the new Esat BT brand.

Commenting on the re-branding, Esat BT chief executive officer Bill Murphy said: “The new name marries the positive association of a strong, competitive local player in the Irish market with the benefits of an internationally connected, financially sound and experienced global communications group.”

With Esat firmly interconnected into the BT family, the Irish market can expect to continue to benefit from more competitive and innovative offerings covering voice, data, internet and e-business services and solutions, according to Esat BT. The company says it is already aggressively championing the national rollout of broadband (DSL) services for both business and residential markets.

The Esat Group - which was acquired by BT in 2000 - was established in Ireland more than seven years ago. Today the company employs more than 1,100 Irish staff, supports more than 200,000 residential customers and has a 20 per cent share of the business market."

Are we excited?

seamus · 11-07-2002 12:11pm

It's a semi-rename. They're going to rename as BT for corporate/large business customers, because the brand recognition would give gains in that area. Home/Small Business customers will still be dealing with Esat, because the BT brand would lose out in that area (BT = British Telecom, hmmmmm). So for 99% of us here, the name change will make feck all difference. Hopefully though it doesn't just appear like BT are taking an interest, hopefully they'll actually do something about it. An being an incumbent themselves, they know every trick in the book.....;)

vampyre · 11-07-2002 12:34pm

The deadline of March next year hopefully indicates they mean it about FRIACO in 4 months max. They need customers urgently to maintain viability and FRIACO surely would be a winner. Oh I am dreaming, they are all as bad and as mad as each other.

aidan_dunne · 11-07-2002 7:41pm

Let's just hope that you are not dreaming, vampyre, and that something might actually come of what you've suggested.

Though with BT seemingly getting behind Esat more and more, maybe things are beginning to look up. I mean, would they actually be doing this if they didn't think Esat could get it's act together by next March? Also, if BT did pull the plug on Esat that would probably finish off Esat altogether and I think that would be a complete disaster for the telecoms market in Ireland because they are the No. 2 operator in the Irish market and if they collapsed there would be no real competition to Eircom at all then and Eircom could really run riot then. We need more competition in the market, not less, so as much as I think Esat is a pretty shoddy operation they are the only real competition to Eircom and we do need them here so I hope this is a sign BT is really going to get behind Esat and take the fight firmly to Eircom.

Then again, this could also be one of those exercises in getting up the hopes of the company before swiftly pulling the rug out from under them, like a politician.

Party leader (BT): "No, no, we are firmly behind our political colleague (Esat) despite the mistakes he might have made in the past. He's a good man and I'm sure he will continue to work hard for our party and for the country as a whole."

Two months later: "After long consultation, it has been decided between myself and the party as a whole and our political colleague that it would be best if he resigned from the party....."

See, who really knows what all this means. Let's hope it means firm support for Esat and not a political-style exit from the market.

vampyre · 11-07-2002 8:17pm

Ireland has useful geographical significance for BT. It was in cahoots with eircom years ago for that reason.

aidan_dunne · 11-07-2002 8:58pm

Hmmm, are you serious about what you said, vampyre, that BT were in cahoots with Eircom years ago? Because, if that is the case, it might give evidence to some of my "wild conspiracy theories" regarding Eircom and Esat/BT and how I feel that all these "meetings" they've been having for months over FRIACO and this one that was supposed to have happened last Tuesday are not about FRIACO at all but about how the two of them can act together in order to stop further competition in the Irish market, try and tie the market up between themselves and how the two of them can then continue to fleece the customer between them. I've felt this has been the case for a long time and there has been far too much secrecy between them regarding all these "meetings" so if what you are suggesting is true, vampyre, it would certainly add fuel to the fire.

Or have I just been watching too many episodes of The X-Files?

El_MUERkO · 11-07-2002 9:20pm

...the truth is out there...

/sorry

BT may be the big evil in the UK but if they give me reasonably priced flat-rate or broadband I'd send them a cookie at christmas

vampyre · 12-07-2002 7:30am

Aidan,
that was aeons ago, Bt did upgrade work free as long as they could lay cables accross Ireland rather than around it. if anything I imagine it gives them reason to dislike Eircom even more, they have proof what theyre like. Esat were just pond life stagnating until Bill Murphy appeared and kicked their sorry asses. I mean how obvious was it to combine all the enterprises in 1 building and sublet the city centre property? Did thye do this ? No. Was the man surprised that they were so thick, yes he publicly said so. It is just BT paying for their sins in the Uk I suppose. I don't think Esat were ever colluding with Eircom, just too crap to beat them which is scary considering how crap eircom are in themselves.

hmmm · 12-07-2002 6:34pm

I don't have it to hand, but I thought the report I read in the Indo about this was very optimistic. In particular, they were talking about focussing on Internet users owing to their large ISP user base. They were also stressing broadband.

The Cigarette Smoking Man · 15-07-2002 12:36pm

Originally posted by El_MUERkO
...the truth is out there...

Not if I have anything to do with it

sceptre · 15-07-2002 6:22pm

Originally posted by hmmm
I don't have it to hand, but I thought the report I read in the Indo about this was very optimistic. In particular, they were talking about focussing on Internet users owing to their large ISP user base. They were also stressing broadband.

A consipracy theorist (or just a paranoid Seamus:))might highlight Tony O'Reilly's financial interest in both the indo and Eircom as at least a part-explanation for that. I still believe that Eircom need Esat, if only to prove that they're not a monopoly.

Esat Group is re-named Esat BT

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