BT continued to build a global reputation as one of the leading players in the international telecommunications market. Over recent years we have built a series of partnerships which span the globe, with a particular focus on North America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

BT has a 20% stake in MCI, the rapidly growing North American long-distance carrier. This alliance led to the setting up of Concert, a joint venture company offering a one-stop communications facility for the world's major companies, which has grown at a phenomenal rate.

In Europe, BT is involved in joint ventures with Banco Santander, one of Spain's largest banks; the German industrial group, VIAG; Banca Nazionale del Lavoro in Italy; and Tele Danmark and the Norwegian operator, Telenor, in Sweden. In Japan, BT has struck deals with Nippon Information and Communication (NI+C), and the Marubeni Corporation. In India, BT has formed an alliance with Wipro, a market leader in Information Technology.