Telus

Infobox Company |
company_name = Telus Corporation
company_
company_type = Public tsx|T nyse|TU
foundation = 1999 with the merger of Telus (Alberta) and BCTel
location = flagicon|Canada Burnaby, British Columbia
key_people = Darren Entwistle, President and CEO
industry = Telecommunications
company_slogan = The Future is Friendly
revenue = gain C$9.074 billion
operating_income = gain C$1.974 billion
net_income = gain C$1.257 billion
num_employees = 34,000 (2007)
market c
C$6.9 billion (2008)cite web |url=http://zenobank.com/index.php?symbol=CA;T&page=quotesearch |title=Company Profile for Telus Corp (CA;T) |accessdate=2008-10-02]
homepage = [http://www.telus.com www.telus.com]

Telus (TSX: T, T.A; NYSE: TU) is a national telecommunications company in Canada that provides a wide range of communications products and services including data, Internet protocol (IP), voice, entertainment and video. The company is based in Burnaby, British Columbia. Telus utilizes a CDMA 2000-based mobility phone network.

History

Telus Communications (Alberta) was created in 1990 by the government of Alberta as a holding company in order to facilitate the privatization of a crown corporation, the Alberta Government Telephones Commission (AGT).Wilson, Kevin G., " [http://books.google.com/books?id=QDiH0zLUamIC&pg=PA35&lpg=PA35&dq=alberta+government+telephones&source=web&ots=xzyqQXwsOu&sig=wd_uShccGmt-uaIYsLdCNP-4c9M Deregulating Telecommunications: U.S. and Canadian Telecommunications, 1840-1997] ", Rowman & Littlefield (2000) ISBN 0847698254 page 35] Alberta Online Encyclopedia, [http://www.abheritage.ca/telephone/era/agt.html "Alberta Government Telephones"] "Alberta's Telephone Heritage"] In 1995, it acquired Edmonton Telephones (Ed Tel) from the City of Edmonton [ [http://www.crtc.gc.ca/INTERNET/1998/8085/RP0007/T11/Crt1415u.doc CRTC LETTER DATED JUNE 30, 1998] , accessed February 12, 2008] making Telus the owner of all telephone service in the province. In 1996, Telus was introduced to the public as the consumer brand, replacing AGT and EdTel. [http://about.telus.com/investors/profile_history.html#telus About Telus: Company history] , Telus corporate website, accessed February 11, 2008] [Feakins, Kathryn H., [http://www.lm.mmc.com/pdfs/a_feakins02.pdf The Telus Story: Brand Management Strategies for a Customer-Focused Identity] , accessed February 12, 2008] In 1999, Telus Corporation was created by the merger of Telus (Alberta) and BCTel with the new entity retaining the Telus name.Hunter, Jennifer, " [http://thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=M1ARTM0011790 BC Telecom/Telus Merger] ", "Macleans Magazine", November 2, 1998] As a result of the merger Telus became Canada's second largest telcom with 22% of market share compared to Bell Canada's 42%. [ [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2001_Nov_19/ai_80152842 Canada's Second Largest Telecommunications Firm Selects Click2learn for Learning Initiative Targeting 28,000 Employees] , "Business Wire", November 19, 2001] [ [http://about.telus.com/media/Factsheet-ROB.html Fact sheet – Telus and the company's R.O.B. placing] , Telus corporate site, accessed February 11, 2008]

In 2008, Telus discontinued its analog mobility phone network due to the lack of available parts for the equipment. A Telus spokesperson said they believed they were the last major mobility carrier to do so. Telus has offered a cost-sharing arrangement to bring landlines to customers who are effected by the analog network shutdown in rural areas as digital signals do not work as well as analog ones in such areas. [http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2008/08/29/bc-telus-rural-cells.html]

Advertising

Telus advertising has been noted for its use of nature-themed imagery and the slogan, 'The Future is Friendly'. Many ads feature animals including pot-bellied pigs, a tree frog, a monkey, a lizard, a duck, fishes and groundhogs. [Kirbyson, Geoff, " [http://www.brandchannel.com/features_profile.asp?pr_id=165 Telus Mobility animal instincts] ", "brandchannel.com", February 2, 2004] [Marck, Paul, " [http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/business/story.html?id=0fe063eb-1632-46ff-b1cf-8786daaf47d7 It's a jungle out there: Canadian telecom companies embrace the animal in them to hawk their products] ", "Edmonton Journal", February 22, 2006] The themes originated with Clearnet Communications, a Canadian cellular telephone provider acquired by Telus in 2000.

2005 Christmas campaign

For the Christmas season in 2005, an ad campaign was launched involving a hippopotamus named Hazina from the Greater Vancouver Zoo, accompanied by the song "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas". On May 31, 2006, the zoo was formally charged with animal cruelty for their treatment of Hazina. [" [http://www.spca.bc.ca/media/GreaterVancouverZoo_May312006.asp Greater Vancouver Zoo Charged with Animal Cruelty Baby Hippo at centre of extensive BC SPCA Investigation] ", BC Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Press Release), May 31, 2006] [ [http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2005/08/13/hippo-zoo050813.html "Zoo criticized for baby hippo barn"] , "CBC News", August 13, 2005] Telus pledged $10,000 towards the building of a new habitat for Hazina [ [http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060531/hippo_vanzoo_060531?s_name=&no_ads= "B.C. zoo charged with cruelty to hippopotamus"] , "CTV News", June 1, 2006] and announced a plan to make available for 'adoption' plush hippopotamus toys through Telus dealers, with all proceeds from BC going towards Hazina and all proceeds from Alberta going towards the hippopotamus at the Calgary Zoo. The campaign raised an additional $20,000 for the Vancouver Zoo's hippopotamus enclosure. Fact|date=January 2008

Labour dispute

Telus' labour dispute with the Telecommunications Workers Union (TWU) began after the previous contract negotiated with BCTel before the two merged expired at the end of 2000. After Telus made its final offer to the TWU, it informed the union of its intention to bring an end to the dispute by unilaterally implementing its April offer to employees in Alberta and British Columbia. The union set up pickets the next day.

On July 25, 2005, Telus blocked its internet subscribers from accessing a website supporting striking union members, leading to allegations of censorship by TWU members. [http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/07/24/telus-sites050724.html "Telus cuts subscriber access to pro-union website"] , "CBC News", July 24, 2005] [Doctorow, Cory, [http://www.boingboing.net/2005/07/24/phone-company-blocks.html "Phone company blocks access to telecoms union's website"] "boingboing", July 24, 2005] Telus expressed concerns over content on the site, saying it including images of employees crossing picket lines and encouraged disruptive behaviour. The British Columbia Civil Liberties Association issued an official objection to the unilateral blocking on July 26, stating "Telus is leveraging its power as a telecommunications service provider to censor a specific group, shut down debate and limit the messages conveyed about the current labour dispute". [ [http://www.bccla.org/pressreleases/05telus.htm "BCCLA Denounces Blocking of Website by Telus"] , "BC Civil Liberties Association" (press release), July 26, 2005]

On July 28, Telus issued a news release detailing an Alberta court injunction ordering the blocked website, Voices For Change, to remove postings of "Telus employee photos" and other "intimidating or threatening material"; the site owner agreed to comply and Telus unblocked its subscribers from the website. [ [http://about.telus.com/cgi-bin/news_viewer.cgi?news_id=605&mode=2&news_year=2005 "Alberta court grants interim injunction against posting Telus employee photos"] , "Telus" (Media Release), July 28, 2005]

Telus and the TWU reached and ratified a tentative agreement on November 18, 2005, ending the dispute. [ [http://www.teleclick.ca/2005/11/64-of-telus-workers-say-no-to-continued-labour-action/ "64% of Telus Workers Say No to Continued Labour Action"] , "Telecommunications Industry News", November 20, 2005]

Pornography sales controversy

In 2007, Telus became the first North American wireless company to offer in-house pay-per-download pornography sales via cellphone. Explicit pictures and videos of full and partially nude men and women were made available at prices ranging from $3 to $4 per download. [ [http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070206.gttelus06/BNStory/Technology/ Naked ambitions put Telus on the spot] ] Industry analysts described this as a landmark move, being the first such offering by a North American wireless company. [http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070213.gttelus13/BNStory/Technology/ Is Telus willing to accept the scorn with its porn?] ] Telus based its decision on research indicating that 20% of search terms entered by subscribers on their mobile browsers were intended to find adult content. As well, 13 of the top 25 sites being accessed were hard-core pornography sites.

On February 9, 2007, Catholic Archbishop Raymond Roussin, S.M. called on the 130 local parishes and schools in the Vancouver archdiocese to consider cancelling their Telus contracts to protest the adult content. Archbishop Roussin, a Telus customer himself, denounced Telus for selling pornography. [ [http://bcc.rcav.org/07-02-12/ Archbishop criticizes Telus porn decision] ] Telus defended the service as "responsible" because users must first prove they're adults. An editorial in the "Globe and Mail" described Telus a "Purveyor of Porn." [ [http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070219.weporn19/BNStory/Business/ reportonbusiness.com: Editorial: Purveyor of porn ] ] There were numerous print and broadcast stories about the company's decision to sell pornography, including one in the New York Times. [ [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30A1EFB3E5A0C7A8DDDAB0894DF404482&showabstract=1 Canadian Company Offers Nude Photos via Cellphone] ]

Shortly thereafter, Telus announced that it was discontinuing sales of adult content to subscribers. [ [http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601082&sid=aqeEJ53nbyp0&refer=canada Telus Stops Selling Porn After Protests From Catholic Church] ] According to Janet Yale, Telus Executive Vice-President of Corporate Affairs, “We heard from a broad range of customers … who made it clear they were not supportive of this initiative." [ [http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070222.wxtelus22/BNStory/Business/ Why Telus ditched its plans to profit from porn] ] However, Telus did not rule out a future return to the business. [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9807E1DC103EF930A15751C0A9619C8B63 World Business Briefing | Americas: Canada: Pornography Service Halted] ]

Mobility controversy

Telus, along with Bell Mobility, has attracted criticism over a new policy of charging 15¢ for incoming text messages to customers without a text messaging plan. [http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/05/12/1419204&from=rss] [http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2008/08/08/bell-texting.html]

Telus has also been accused of forcing customers off of data plans which have been advertised as "unlimited" for vague terms of service violations and moving them to a capped 1GB of month plan with a high overage charge. [http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2008/08/28/tech-telus.html]

ponsorship and naming

Since 2000, Telus and its team members have contributed more than $91 million to charitable and non-profit organizations and volunteered more than 1.7 million hours of service to local communities. [ [http://cata.ca/Media_and_Events/Press_Releases/cata_pr05150701.html CATAAlliance Announces Telus Award for Public Sector Leadership in Advanced Technology] ] [ [http://about.telus.com/community/community_boards/index.html Telus—community] ] [ [http://www.boardoftrade.com/sov_page.asp?pageid=1431 Telus Tour for the Cure sends message: Detection is your best protection] ] [ [http://tsedb.globeinvestor.com/servlet/WireFeedRedirect?cf=GlobeInvestor/tsx/config&date=20070718&archive=cnw&slug=C6916 Telus debuts the Samsung m620: business in the front, party in the back] ]

Telus sponsors a minor league baseball stadium in downtown Edmonton called the Telus Field. Built in 1995, it was home to the now-defunct Edmonton Trappers of the Pacific Coast League and is now home to the Edmonton Cracker-Cats of the independent Golden League. Telus also donated $9 million to Science World in Vancouver under the terms that it was to be renamed Telus World of Science, $9 million to the Calgary Science Centre, and $8.2 million to the Odyssium in Edmonton; all three science museums were subsequently renamed as Telus World of Science. [ [http://www.scienceworld.bc.ca/pdf/pressrelease/Telus%20World%20of%20Science%20Name%20Change.pdf Science World facility renamed ‘Telus World of Science’ as part of $9-million sponsorship deal] ]

Telus is also the namesake tenant in several office buildings, including Tour Telus in Montreal and Telus Plaza in Edmonton.

Telus also sponsors the annual Kokanee Crankworx freeride mountain bike festival held in Whistler, BC.

Offshoring/Outsourcing

Telus has an estimated 7000 employees in the Philippines where it is known as Telus International (or TI) Formerly known as Ambergris Solutions Inc. Its Main office is located in Pasig City situated on the 31st fl of the Discovery Suites and has its largest site located at Market Market in Taguig. Telus International Philippines will be opening its new site loacted at Cubao Quezon City sometime in 2009 with there fully owned building which is now under construction. [ [http://www.telusinternational.com/ Telus International] ] The majority of the workforce employed in the Philippines is used for North American call center support. Dell Financial Services Sales Assist, formerly known as SPOC (Single Point of Contact) has also been fully offshored to the Philippines as well as Dell Financial Services Customer Care. Telus' long term plan is to grow its offshore workforce in order to stay competitive in the marketplace. Call centre work will be exported to the Philippines, while development and quality assurance work will be offshored to India.

Wireless HSPA Upgrade

TELUS has signed an agreement with Nokia Siemens Networks create an overlay HSPA network that will run along side their existing CDMA network. The new network should be complete by the beginning of 2010. [http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/515644]

ee also

*Mike
*Koodo Mobile
*Clearnet Communications

References

http://eon.businesswire.com/releases/telus/homepna/prweb1276784.htmTELUS Selects CopperGate's HomePNA for IPTV Service

External links

* [http://www.telus.com TELUS]
* [http://mobilesyrup.com/category/mobile-news/telus-mobility-news/ Mobilesyrup.com TELUS Section]