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BTwatch, issue 2008.09 snapshot

GROUP: BT was rumoured to be considering the sale of part of its stake in Indian business process outsourcing company Tech Mahindra, with mixed reaction from analysts. However, plans for the sale appear to have been put on hold as the financial crisis continues to create uncertainty. [p.3.] Read more

BTwatch, issue 2008.07-08 snapshot

GROUP: BT looks set to sell its 31%-shareholding in Indian business process outsourcing company Tech Mahindra (formerly known as Mahindra-BT). Meanwhile, Tech Mahindra itself paid around £1m for a 17.3%-stake in Servista, a UK-based systems integrator. The acquisition of German ICT specialist Stemmer was completed by BT. [pp.2-3.] Read more

BTwatch, issue 2008.06 snapshot

KPIs: BTwatch reviewed BT’s latest set of Key Performance Indicators and found disturbing trends showing operational weakness. The picture for BT looks worrying in its core markets, with only Openreach emerging with much credit. In a broader comparison with competitors in the wider communications market, BT also looks to be struggling to make a mark. [pp. 35-40.]

RESULTS: BT released its results from the first quarter of FY08-09, which sparked a dramatic plunge in BT’s share price. While the performance of BT Wholesale was below expectations, Global Services’ improved margin targets received a setback, and pension worries re-emerged, BTwatch wonders if the more frank style of presentation by the new Chief Executive Ian Livingston prompted some of the market consternation. Aside from ongoing allusions to the need to improve the quality of contracts at Global Services, Livingston is yet to resort to pinning the blame for poor performance on the old regime at BT, perhaps because he is too closely associated with it. A clear new strategy to distinguish his leadership and vision from the Bland & Verwaayen double act has not yet emerged either, however. [pp.41-55.] Read more

BTwatch, snapshot of issue 2008.05

MAIN STORY: BT announced a £1.5bn commitment to rolling out fibre in the UK. However, on closer examination, the promise is much less impressive than it initially appears. Only £1bn of new network investment is promised over five years, and only £200m over the first two, with the rollout covering less than half the UK’s households at best. The deployment is likely to focus on fibre-to-the-cabinet, rather than to-the-home, meaning actual speeds will be less than half the rates BT is highlighting. Much of the rollout also appears dependent on government bodies being prepared to fund it. BT is also demanding support and reassurances from the regulator, ahead of the Ofcom announcement of its next-generation network policies in September. There are questions to be answered regarding the proposals before they can be seen as more than just PR puff, but should this commitment to fibre be, as BT would have us believe, a step-change in the company’s broadband strategy, it is to be warmly welcomed. [pp.5-8.] Read more

BT commits to £1.5bn fibre rollout

BT announced a commitment to begin a £1.5bn programme, to provide fibre-based broadband services for up to ten million UK homes by 2012. The plan is subject to BT being assured that the regulatory regime for the new services will be satisfactory and predictable. The company also announced an end to its current share-buyback programme, reportedly to provide the financial flexibility for projects such as the fibre rollout. Read more

BTwatch — Wordle view

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BTwatch, issue 2008.03-04

STRATEGY & OPERATIONS: One of Verwaayen’s final acts as Chief Executive — and one that received decidedly less coverage than the tributes from his rivals — was the announcement of a re-think on BT’s approach to 21CN. Long-held ambitions to complete a nationwide rollout, which had appeared bogged down in technical difficulties, were finally abandoned and the roll out will now be based on customer demand. It would appear that only a fraction of the promised £1bn of savings per year will be realised, but BT has at last moved to meet customer demand for new services based on the latest broadband technology, and is now building out 21CN pragmatically rather than ideologically. [pp.4-5.] Read more

BTwatch, issue 2008.02

BT GROUP: Ian Livingston is to replace Ben Verwaayen as BT Group Chief Executive. The announcement of Verwaayen’s resignation draws to a close speculation about his future with the company. BTwatch considers the outgoing executive made significant progress in moving the telco forward, but a new approach is now needed — it will be interesting to see if Livingston lives up to his reputation as a safe pair of hands in potentially troubled times. BT also announced the appointment of parliamentarian Patricia Hewitt and LloydsTSB Group Chief Executive Eric Daniels as non-executive directors. [pp.2-5,6.]

BTwatch

Issue: 2008.02
Covering: 19 February to 14 April 2008
Published: April 2008
Next issue: May 2008

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BTwatch issue 2008.01

BT GROUP: BT announced its long-serving Company Secretary, Larry Stone, is becoming President of Group Public and Government Affairs. He will be replaced by Andrew Parker. Robin Pauley, President of European Affairs for the Group, is to retire, and Stone looks set to take over his responsibilities. [p.2.]

BTwatch

Issue: 2008.01
Covering: 21 December 2007 to 18 February 2008
Published: February 2008
Next issue: March/April 2008

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BTwatch issue 2007.10

GROUP: After several months’ consideration, the European Commission decided to launch a formal investigation into BT’s “Crown Guarantee”, which underwrites part of BT’s pension scheme. Should the Commission decide the guarantee amounts to state aid, BT could be required to make additional payments of up to £12m into the UK government’s Pension Protection Fund. Rod Kent was named as the new Chairman of the BT Pension Scheme. [p.2.]

BTwatch

Issue: 2007.10
Covering: 15 November to 20 December 2007
Published: December 2007
Next issue: January/February 2008

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• What's new

  • BTwatch, issue 2008.09 snapshot
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Telefonica Report
-- Strategy and Outlook 2008 to 2011

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