Telus 2008 Annual Report Download - page 13

redeployments, reductions in positions were made in December 2008 and early 2009,
mostly in management ranks.
Recent developments – consumer
An important element of the Company’s wireline revenue growth strategy is the TELUS
Future Friendly® Home initiative in its incumbent service areas. TELUS offers a suite of
integrated, advanced digital and wireless services that leverage its significant
investments in high-speed Internet. In 2008, TELUS continued the expansion of its
digital television service, TELUS TV®, in Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Fort
McMurray, Grande Prairie, Rimouski and Whistler. Product enhancements were made
during the year with the launch of HD and PVR functionality. In 2008, TELUS also
continued enhancing its broadband infrastructure under a three-year, $600 million
program first announced in the fall of 2006. This investment is enabling emerging high-
speed Internet services and expanded network coverage across B.C., Alberta and eastern
Québec. The broadband project complements a rural capital investment program to
bring high-speed Internet services to more than 450 additional remote communities B.C.,
Alberta and eastern Québec by 2010. (See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis –
Section 10. Risks and risk management – 10.2 Technology” in TELUS’ 2008 Annual
Report – Financial Review.)
The Company continued its transformational billing initiative to re-engineer processes in
the wireline segment for order entry, pre-qualification, service fulfillment and assurance,
customer care, billing, collections/credit, customer contract and information
management. In 2008, TELUS successfully implemented its consolidation of multiple
order entry and billing systems into one unified customer care platform for more than
one million B.C. customers, following the implementation of the same program for one
million Alberta customers in 2007. The expected benefits of this project include
streamlined and standardized processes and the elimination over time of multiple legacy
information systems.
In 2007, the CRTC granted residential local exchange forbearance in markets where
incumbents are facing increasing competitive pressure. To date, TELUS has received
approval for deregulation of wireline residential phone service in 96 exchanges (about 80
per cent of residential lines in non-high cost serving areas) across B.C., Alberta and
Québec. This is expected to positively impact TELUS’ competitiveness by providing
improved pricing, marketing and bundling flexibility.
Recent developments – business
TELUS’ approach to the business market is through growth in central Canada as well as
nationally, with a focus on the key vertical markets of healthcare, financial services, the
public sector and the energy sector.
As noted on page 8, TELUS advanced its capabilities in the healthcare and financial
services sectors with the January 2008 acquisition of Emergis. Emergis’ service portfolio
and eastern presence provides a good geographical and service fit with TELUS’ services in
the west.
In December, 2008, the Company was selected by the Government of Quebec, through
a competitive bid process, to deliver and manage the province’s next generation data
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