Hi there! My name is Peter White. Welcome and thank you for tuning in to this podcast which is an audio version of ‘Forward’ -- BT’s shareholder magazine February 2008.
As well as introducing BT’s new Chairman, emphasising the benefits of being connected to the on-line world and highlighting great holiday deals, free prize draws and many special offers from the BT Shop, this issue of Forward is accompanied by a special two-page leaflet giving details of BT’s exciting and exclusive new credit card which could save shareholders up to £150 on their annual phone bill.
Forward itself has a new format for February and is a double fronted magazine. You will find we have two front covers ‘Forward – February 2008’ and if you turn to the back and turn the magazine up the other way, ‘BT Shareholder offers from the BT Shop’ – valid until 31 March 2008.
Forward begins with an introduction to new Chairman Sir Michael Rake and his first message to shareholders. Sir Michael writes:
In my first few months as Chairman of this great company, I have been struck by the commitment of our people and the outstanding potential of our business. We really are well placed in the world around us. In the months ahead I am looking forward to doing everything I can to help make the most of this fantastic position for our customers, for our people and for you, our shareholders.
I was delighted to join BT as Chairman in September last year, and in the months since then I have had a very interesting and exciting time. As I have travelled around visiting various BT operations and getting to know the company better, everywhere I have gone I have met BT people full of enthusiasm and commitment for the company, their customers and the communities in which they live and work. I am determined to help encourage and build on this commitment - it really is our greatest asset.
BT is an exceptional company with a great history and an outstanding future. Particularly in the last five or six years, BT has transformed itself into a customer-centric global company. The great challenge and opportunity for us now is to take our customer focus to the next level and ensure that it is delivered consistently in the UK and around the world.
To this end we are placing huge importance on getting customer service right first time - not just now and then or here and there but every time and everywhere. I think the key thing here is to have an open and consistent set of values and behaviours which enable all of us in BT to work together more effectively in the interests of our customers.
One of the things that particularly drew me to joining BT was its very real and deep commitment to social responsibility. Over the years my own involvement in this area has grown, in my previous roles as Chairman of KPMG and as Chairman of Business in the Community (BiTC). I am pleased to say that one of my last duties as Chairman of BiTC was the presentation of the award for Company of the Year by HRH the Prince of Wales and Al Gore to my predecessor at BT, Sir Christopher Bland. I am looking forward to building on BT’s outstanding corporate social responsibility activities, particularly globally.
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I now turn to the third quarter results to 31 December 2007. These were announced on 7 February 2008 and you can watch a video of the results presentation to analysts and see the results on-line at www.bt.com/results
You may wish to note that BT’s full year results to 31 March 2008 will be announced on Thursday 15 May 2008.
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I spoke earlier about the new BT Credit card and the two-page leaflet which accompanies Forward this time round. First some legal information. The BT Credit Card is issued by MBNA Europe Bank Limited, Registered Office: Stansfield House, Chester Business Park, Chester CH4 9QQ. Registered in England number: 2783251. Credit is available, subject to status, to UK residents aged 18 and over. You cannot transfer balances from another MBNA account. MBNA will monitor or record some phone calls. MBNA is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.
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The BT credit card is unlike any other card because every time you use it to buy everyday items such as food and petrol, you save money on your BT bill. The discount you earn is deducted automatically from your bill – you don’t need to claim. And the more you spend, the more you save. For example if the total monthly spending on yourcard is £200, the quarterly saving on your bill is £3, or £12 for a full year.
If you were to spend £750 a month, the savings rise to £18.75 a quarter or £75 a year. And if there are two credit card holders in one household, the benefit doubles to a potential £150 worth of savings a year.
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And there are more benefits. If you don’t currently pay your BT bill by direct debit or monthly payment plan, simply set up a recurring authority to your BT credit card and save £18 per year against the cost of the payment processing fee.
You can do this by logging into your account at www.bt.com
If you choose to opt for a balance transfer to your BT credit card, you pay no interest for 12 months and no interest on card purchases for six months from the date your account is opened. There is a typical rate of 15.9 per cent (variable) and no annual fee although a three per cent handling fee applies on balnce transfers.
So how do you apply for your card? That’s easy too. Simply log onto www.bt.com/shareholdercard or call 0800 707 6298 quoting ‘shareholder card’. You can even choose the colour of your card.
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There’s never been a better time for shareholders to take advantage of some amazing deals on offer at the BT Shop with up to 20% discount on BT branded goods and shareholder discounts on many household names. All products featured in Forward – ranging from BT Branded Telephones to HD TVs – can be bought on-line or ordered by phone at these special shareholder prices. The BT Studio 1500 Twin , for instance, normally sells at £49.99 but the shareholder price is just £27.99, with the popular Big Button 100 reduced from £24.99 to £17.99. See www.bt.com/forward for more details.
There is, literally, something for everybody. To order by phone, call 0870 429 3823 between 9am and 9pm, Monday-Friday, you have up until 31 March 2008 . To buy on-line just visit www.bt.com/shop/forwardfeb. By using this link you will automatically activate the advertised shareholder discount.. There is free delivery on on-line orders worth over £99.
You can, of course, also visit and order from the rest of the BT Shop website where there are no fewer than 15,000 products to choose from, such as:
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There are also special shareholder offers for pre-pay mobile phone users on page 6 of the BT Shop magazine. The Samsung E250 slider phone is available for only £64.95 or choose the Nokia 6300 for £109.95 - each with a free Bluetooth headset only for BT Shareholders. And what’s more you can sign up for the BT Mobile new pre-pay tariff. Get up to 50 per cent off your calls when you spend £20 in the previous month and make calls for just 10 pence per minute. For full details see: www.shop.bt.com/prepay
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One of the main themes of Forward continues to be the urging of shareholders to ‘get connected’.
The internet has the potential to make life much richer and easier. The on-line world enables us to shop for goods and services and gain easy access to huge amounts of information and a fast growing choice of entertainment.
Increasingly, we can maintain contact with each other no matter where in the world we are. BT is at the heart of this revolution – helping people thrive in our fast changing world.
Again there are special offers just for BT shareholders
Discover broadband with BT Total Broadband. You can sign up or switch to BT Total Broadband with prices starting from just £8.95 a month for the first six months. Term and conditions apply. And there is an exclusive offer of a Welcome Cheque of up to £60 when you order at www.bt.com/shareholders/broadband or call 0800 055 6258. This offer ends 30 April 2008.
BT Total Broadband is a fast, always-on internet connection. You can view or listen to whatever you want as easily as switching channels on your television. And you can share your latest news and pictures in an instant. You can also make cheap internet phone calls or have home video chats with friends and family wherever they are in the world. And all this without tying up your telephone line.
It's worth recommending BT. If you recommend a friend or relative and they sign up to BT Total Broadband, we'll give you and them free hotel breaks. That's a night for two for you - and a night for two for your friend. See www.tellafriend.bt.com -- and you can recommend as many friends as you like!
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Let me tell you now about BT Vision which enables you to watch what you want when you want. Sign up to BT Total Broadband now and you can get BT Vision for a £30 one-off connection fee, including the BT Vision set-top box, the V-box™, absolutely free. Terms and conditions apply. To order BT Vision, go to www.bt.com/btvision/shareholders or call 0800 012 1746
BT Vision is our exciting digital TV service for BT Total Broadband customers. It combines Freeview channels, via your rooftop aerial,
with a great selection of on demand entertainment and live sport, all direct to your TV. And with BT Vision, you can pay per view or take a flexible monthly viewing pack -- it’s up to you.
There is neither an annual TV contract nor expensive subscriptions. It just provides you with great TV. Here’s a selection of prices on offer:
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Are you one those people baffled by technology? BT Home IT Support
is here to help.When you have computer problems or anytechnical questions it’s reassuring to knowthere’s somewhere you can turn to. BT’sdedicated team of IT advisers can give you assistance over the phone or in your home.
Whether you need one-off help or ongoing support across a wide range of IT and computing issues, you’ll get straight through to an expert who can help.
Log on to www.bt.com/homeit/shareor call 0800 500 232
You can get help:
And we’ll even give your computer a health check and spring clean for better performance.
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BT strongly believes in the benefit of e-communications for all; improving BT’s financial performance and profits, as well as reducing the costs to the environment. We have increased the number of shareholder prize draws to three in the February issue of Forward.
For e-shareholders there is a great prize draw courtesy of Apollo Travel Direct and Equiniti (the new name for BT’s Registrars ) comprising £2,000 to spend as you wish on holidays of your choice and £2,000 spending money if you switch to electronic communications at www.bt.com/signup by 30 April 2008. To do this you need to use your shareholder reference number shown on your dividend voucher. All existing e-shareholders will be entered into the draw .
Also if you sign up to receive shareholder information via e-alerts by 30 April 2008, you could win a range of BT products and services in another free great prize draw. This prize for one lucky e-shareholder includes:
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As either an e- or non e-shareholder you also have a great opportunity to win in a great new £500 prize draw just by arranging to have your dividends paid directly to your bank or building society account. It’s convenient and safe and those shareholders who sign up to have their dividends paid directly by 30 April 2008 will be entered into the draw.
Two lucky winners will win £500 each, compliments of Equiniti .
Prize draw terms and conditions can be found at www.bt.com/shareholderplus
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BT continues to provide a number of special offers with a wide range of e-partners for e-shareholders who manage their BT shareholding on line. E-shareholding enables you to receive all your shareholder communications electronically, and build, view and manage a full share portfolio online. You can find out more at www.bt.com/shareholderplus
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I come now to some great holiday offers for all shareholders courtesy of Apollo Travel Direct.
You can save as much as 55 per cent on the brochure price on the widest choice of destinations. You can save:
You can also save up to 20 per cent on a UK Warner Leisure Hotels break.
Choose from a selection of nine hotels and three coastal resorts. Warner is excellent value for money with great accommodation, breakfast, three-course evening meal, use of selected facilities, plus live entertainment day and night;
all included in the price of your break.
And to celebrate St Pancras becoming the UK’s new terminal, there are Eurostar breaks from only £109 per person. Sit back and relax. as Eurostar takes you to Paris, Lille, Antwerp, Bruges or Brussels, with complete flexibility for your city break. Call for a great choice of hotels. For more holiday information call Apollo Travel Direct on 0845 456 0078 and quote BT028. Calls may be monitored. Please ask for details of terms and conditions or go to www.bt.com/shareholderoffers
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It was on 30 September 2007, Advent International completed the purchase of Lloyds TSB Registrars and on 1 October, our Registrars changed their name to Equiniti Limited. Alan Scott, Director of Corporate Governance at BT commented: “Their team is unchanged and we expect their dedication to BT will remain unchanged”.
Equiniti are now forging ahead with helping BT and our shareholders manage their shareholdings with ease. Sign up for e-communications with Equniti’s Shareview service and receive all your shareholder communications electronically. You can do this by visiting www.bt.com/signup
Equiniti’s Shareview services offer shareholders free share portfolio and dealing tools. Shareview has been designed to help you manage your holdings quickly, easily and securely online. With Shareview you can:
Login or register now at www.bt.com/signup and with Equiniti’s Shareview dealing service you can:
Start trading today at: www.shareview.co.uk/dealing
The Shareview dealing service is provided by Equiniti Financial Services Limited. Details of the company are available at www.shareview.co.uk/dealing or by telephone on 0845 607 6838.
For all matters relating to your shareholding please telephone the shareholder helpline on Freefone 0808 100 4141, + 44 121 415 7178 from outside the UK or you can use our textphone service on 0800 169 6907, + 44 121 415 7028 from outside the UK. E-mail enquiries can be made at bt@equiniti.com Postal enquiries should be sent to: Equiniti, Aspect House, Spencer Road, Lancing, West Sussex BN99 6DA.
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Finally a reminder that If you have a broken or redundant mobile phone you no longer need, please help us to raise vital funds for ChildLine. Email us at charity.programme@bt.com and we will then send you a freepost recycling bag.
This is Peter White signing off and saying ‘thank you’ for listening.