TelstraSaturn is dead, long live TelstraClear.
Following the purchase of Clear Communications by TelstraSaturn, the company has decided to rebrand itself as TelstraClear. All the various company websites now point to the new TelstraClear site which was registered with Domainz on December 4.
"There's no branding or logo developed yet so that will be the next focus naturally," says spokesman Ralph Little. He says the decision was only reached today and Clear was kept in part because of its strong brand equity in New Zealand.
"Over the past decade we've built up a lot of awareness and equity in that name and we're recognised as the challenger in the market and we've got a key focus on customer choice and we didn't want to lose that."
The big loser in the re-branding exercise is Australian cable TV company Austar, which owns more than a third of the company. Austar provided the Saturn part of the business and indications are that Austar will pull out of TelstraClear by the end of 2004.
IDGNet understands that a decision on staff layoffs has been reached but won't be made public for some time. Staff are most likely to be affected after New Year rather than before.