France Telecom brand Orange has launched new services aimed at bolstering its presence in Africa and the Middle East.
The company has gone live with Orange Money, its mobile payment service, in Kenya. Orange has partnered with Equity Bank to develop and launch the service.
Orange Money is now available in six African countries, having first launched in Côte d'Ivoire in December 2008.
The company also plans to open an R&D center in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, to tailor products for sub-Saharan Africa, Orange said.
Separately, Orange has rolled out HD voice to Egyptian subsidiary Mobinil's network. Orange said this is the first time HD voice has been launched in the MEA region.
The company said it plans to introduce HD voice services to most countries across its operational footprint by the end of next year.
It has already implemented the service in the France, the UK, Moldova, Armenia, Belgium and Spain.