A Network for the 21st Century

Two years ago, when France Telecom decided to form a unit to co-produce movies in Europe, industry insiders were left in a quandary as to why one of FranceÂ’s largest telecommunication providers would make such a move. A phone company getting into film?

The move was part of an ambitious plan to differentiate the communications company from the phalanx of competitors that had arisen in France. And while some may consider France TelecomÂ’s increased activity in media, distributing music, movies, games and television as a tough bet, Didier Lombard, France TelecomÂ’s chief executive and chairman, believes itÂ’s the only way for the company to survive.

To further push his strategy and quash any misunderstanding of his ideas about the changes underway in telecom, Lombard has authored a new book . He made an appearance Thursday at Café De La Presse in San Francisco to autograph the book for well wishers and chat with the Biz Tech Blog. The book, entitled The Second Life of Networks, is an attempt to chart the evolution of the telecommunications industry and its acceleration over the last five years, due mostly to the explosion of the Internet.

In describing the new dynamics at play and its effects on telecommunication companies, Lombard partially examines the impact of the usual Web 2.0 companies – the one whose name starts with an F, the other beginning with an M and of course the Big G company. He urges politicians, consumers and, yes, journalists to not look at the phenomenal growth and popularity of such companies as a fad or even a bubble. Instead, see them as the initial rain droplets of a great downpour.

“I did not write this book to make a profit or to be regarded as a writer,” Lombard tells us. “It’s a tool to show what’s happened in the past, what’s happening now and the impact these events may have on the future.”

He says no longer will consumers just consume media and communication. ItÂ’s now an exchange where consumers now have much more of a say in what it is theyÂ’re interacting with and watching, making demands on those who provide those services. As a result of the changes, Mr. Lombard says a company of France TelecomÂ’s size, with its 200,000 employees, needs a clear directive on how it tackles the brave new world. So he also considers the book a guide for how the French telecommunications company will negotiate the new terrain.

“I’m probably the only telecommunications chief executive to lay out his strategies in a book for the public to see,” says Lombard.

All proceeds from The Second Life of Networks will be donated to the non-profit Orange Foundation.

Bobby White and Lee Gomes

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