Goodbye LIME, hello FLOW.
That was the outcome today as Cable & Wireless (C&W) and Columbus management and staff became one under the FLOW brand.
It is a move C&W Communications chief executive officer (CEO) Phil Bentley told the media will mean $320 million in new investment for Barbados over the next three years, and a share of 500 regional jobs, possibly including the 200-seat call centre Barbados is competing with Jamaica for.
Bentley flew into the island for the official rebranding, which is taking place here first. Jamaica will be the next of 16 markets to follow. About 500 workers from the merged company, all wearing blue FLOW shirts, celebrated their union at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre.
Speaking immediately afterwards, Bentley, said Barbados was in line for the major new investment, which would include an enhanced mobile network and the conversion of remaining copper infrastructure to fibre.
Bentley said FLOW was also ready for full number portability on mobile phones, while it still had some work to do to get local number portability ready.
Following the Fair Trading Commission’s announcement this week of a new trustee to oversee the sale of “overlapping” LIME and FLOW fibre infrastructure catering to 56 000, Bentley said this network was now a separate entity and that there had been 14 expressions of interest from people interested in buying it. This number included local investors.
Bentley said C&W chose FLOW over LIME following feedback from staff and customers, noting that FLOW represented better innovation, more value for money and good service. The company’s new slogan is “This is how we FLOW”. (SC)