Partner Communications Company Ltd. ("Partner") is a leading Israeli provider of telecommunications services (cellular, fixed-line telephony and internet services) under the orange™ brand. Partner provides a broad range of high-standard services to over 3 million cellular customers, representing a market share of approximately 32%. Alongside the current content and cellular services the company is offering today a number of services provided over fixed line networks including Internet service provider (“ISP”) services, including value added services, specialized data services and server hosting, and WiFi network of hotspots across Israel; transmission services; Voice over Broadband (“VoB”) telephony services; outgoing and Incoming international telephony, and web based entertainment multimedia services. The company is thereby realizing its strategy to evolve from a pure cellular operator into a leading telecommunication company in Israel. These new activities are one of the foundations of the Company’s future growth and a major opportunity to differentiate itself from competition. The Company’s ADSs are quoted on the NASDAQ Global Select Market™ and its shares are traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (NASDAQ, TASE: PTNR).
In October 2009. Partner’s controlling shareholder, Hutchison Telecom, completed the sale of its controlling interest (51.3%) in Partner to Scailex Corporation Ltd. (”Scailex), an Israeli company listed on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange,for a consideration of approximately NIS5.3 billion. In parallel to the closing of the transaction, and as a result of various subsequent transactions, Scailex and its affiliates now hold approximately 45% of Partner’s outstanding shares.
Partner focuses on creating a new and exciting communications environment for its subscribers through the offering of innovative and value-added services and the most advanced technologies.
Partner was the first telecommunications company operating in the GSM technology. Since 2006, Partner has implemented the advanced technology of 3.5 G. In addition, Partner is the first company that began preparations for the deployment of fourth-generation network (LTE) that will provide significant additional value to customer experience and will increase the consumption of content and data one of the most significant growth factor for the company.Partner is committed to innovation and continuously invests in its strategic initiatives and new domains of activity. The company is at an advanced stage of implementing its entrance strategy into the customer's home and its evolution into a multi-service communications group. In 2011, Partner took an important step in this evolution and acquired 012 Smile. The operating merger with 012, enables the group to offer a wide range of telecom products for the home and business, and improves operational efficiency. The Company continues to expand its services and offers comprehensive solutions which suit customers’ needs and provide added value. By developing a deeper presence in the customers’ home, Partner offers subscribers the benefits of service synergies with its core cellular activities and its new services, while strengthening its position as a leading telecommunications company, determined to create new standards in customer service and product innovation.
Partner puts a special emphasis on content and data and the company is the industry leader in this area, consistently achieving the highest revenues from content and data. Leading the 3.5G market in Israel pushes forward Partner’s content business, which reaches annual revenues of above NIS 666 million in 2011.Together with its continuous investment in the upgrade of its cellular network (a prerequisite for high data consumption), Partner also continually strengthens its presence in the content market. The expansion of devices such as smart phones, Tablets and cellular modems, which create new synergic platforms with the Company’s activity, supports Partner’s “data anywhere” vision and is one of the foundations for future growth.
Partner’s success leans on the tremendous assets built by the company in the last decade, which made it a leading telecommunications company in Israel and a “value” company committed to maximize shareholders’ return. On March 22, 2012 the Board of Directors reaffirmed existing dividend policy with respect to 2012, targeting a minimum 80% payout ratio of the Company's annual net income for the year 2012.