Virgin Media has rebranded ntl:Telewest, the company's business ISP, as Virgin Media Business.
At an event in London on Wednesday, Virgin boss Richard Branson said the retention of the old name had been a "brand catastrophe", and quipped that the brand manager responsible had been "given a one-way ticket in one of [Virgin's] spaceships".
"From today, it will be called Virgin Media Business," Branson said.
NTL took over Telewest in 2006, and began offering services under the ntl:Telewest brand. Soon after that, it acquired the consumer-focused mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) Virgin Mobile. The deal gave the company the right to use the Virgin brand, which it started doing in early 2007 for its consumer business.
Asked whether the rebranding means customers might see joint offers with Virgin Mobile, Virgin Media chief executive Neil Berkett said the MVNO, which resells T-Mobile's services, will stay consumer-focused. He added that the company will separately "partner with mobile operators for Virgin Media Business".
According to a company statement on Thursday, Virgin Media Business will give each customer access to a dedicated account team. The company also intends to expand its Ethernet portfolio.
Mark Heraghty, managing director of Virgin Media Business, said at the event that the company will also try to "push up from the midmarket into larger companies", and strengthen its position in the small-business, public-sector and wholesale markets.
Talkback
They want to sort out their home user business first, before they go off buggering up the business markets, put all 3 of them onto the virgin shuttle and launch it at the bloody sun.