The Chief Executive of Portugal Telecom declined to comment on the current takeover activity surrounding the company as today he launched a package for small to medium sized companies.
Armando Almeida would not be distracted from explaining the benefits of the Global Connect Pack and said that, "Leadership, innovation and operational efficiency" are the three pillars on which his master plan is founded.
Almeida replaced Zeinal Bava at the helm of Portugal Telecom on August 18th this year and started his tenure by launching a full 100 day review of PT's operations and promising great things in a company where he aims to change the culture to become focused on the customer.
Zeinal Bava skipped off to Oi in Brazil as the storm broke about PT’s massive loan to Espirito Santo’s Rioforte, a loan which Rioforte failed to repay and then scuttled off to the supposed safety of Luxembourg's legal system.
Rioforte since has been declared bankrupt leaving PT nursing an almost certainly irrecoverable loss of around €900 million and Baval was been fired with the comfort of a multi-million euro payoff.
When he took the helm, Armando Almeida said that in 100 days he would launch a new plan for PT and its customers, aiming to reduce costs to the consumer.
PT Portugal today launched its new small and medium business package based on the integration of services.
The Global Connect Package offers a single solution for communications managed intelligently by a virtual PBX that allows companies to use fixed and mobile equipment more conveniently in the office or on the move, and offers access to cloud based services for the storage of e-mail.
Until now this offer level only was available to larger companies, "as it required a large investment in technology and skilled resources," said Almeida during today’s presentation.
PT Portugal reckons the new package will make businesses more efficient with better cost control.
Almeida said in September that his master plan also would address PT’s accounts which are light by €900 million, yet this was not addressed today as he wanted to concentrate on positive news - also, his 100 day review is not up.
Almeida remained detached from the battle over ownership of the former state owned monopoly with Oi, PT’s Brazilian owners weighing up competing offers from British, Americans and Angolan businesses.
