During a conference at the Luiss University Luca di Montezemolo has confirmed that Telecom Italia will sponsor Scuderia Ferrari for three years beginning in 2007, the Italian phone giant represented on the red cars by its broadband division, 'Alice'. Montezemolo also reiterated Jean Todt's comments at last weekend's Spanish Grand Prix that the team's 2007 driver line-up will be finally confirmed during the Italian Grand Prix, "In Monza, as usual, we will present next year's drivers," commented the Fiat Group and Ferrari Chairman.

Launched in 2002 Alice is the domestic broadband division of Telecom Italia. At the time the Alice brand name was regarded as an innovative and highly original brand name for the Italian internet market. Telecom Italia chose this sweet-sounding girl’s name "in an attempt to extend the allure of broadband to people who perceive modern technologies as cold and detached, sometimes even as menacing." Following in the footsteps of the wonderland heroine of Lewis Carroll’s children’s book, "Alice is ready to quickly and easily bring ADSL into every home in Italy, and whirl people off on an adventure of discovery in the wonderful world of the Internet." The service was launched to the slogan:  “Alice, an Internet Wonderland”, conceived by copywriter Emanuele Madeddu and art director Patrizio Marini of Fagan Reggio Del Bravo. The Alice logo, featuring bright colours and horizontal stripes connecting up to the Net, highlights a woman’s eye-view of the future as it opens up to the world of new technologies.

The Alice brand name has been heavily promoted by Telecom Italia and the division is currently a leading sponsor of the Marlboro Ducati Corse team racing with much success in the 2006 MotoGP World Championship with Loris Capirossi and Sete Gibernau. Alice will replace another telecommunications brand next year on the F1 Ferraris as Vodafone are moving to McLaren-Mercedes where they will be the title sponsor. As well as the exposure of the Alice name globally as Telecom Italia target their worldwide broadband penetration, Alice - like Vodafone - will benefit from being able to deliver exclusive content directly to their customer base.
 

Telecom Italia S.p.A. was founded in August 1994 through the merger of five companies: SIP, Iritel, Telespazio, Italcable and Sirm. The company took its place in a complex and rapidly changing market. Telecom Italia immediately ceased to be simply a telephone company and began its transition into one of the world's top telecommunications industry competitors, driven by advanced technology, a forward-looking attitude and an international reach. At last, Italy had a single telecommunications company in charge of its domestic and international operations .

Today Telecom Italia has annual revenues of 29.9 billion euros, 85,253 employees, operates in ten countries, and has over 7.6 million broadband customers (6.1 million in Italy) and about 30 million TIM-branded mobile phone lines in Italy. TIM also has 21 million mobile phone lines in Brazil (17.8 million of which are GSM) and also has 3 million UMTS mobile lines.

It's strategy to 2008 includes: Re-investment of almost all of the savings generated by internal synergies in enhancing professional skills, improving customer care, implementing fixed-line and mobile broadband, and implementing new technologies; Ongoing enhancement of professional competencies and instilling new skills, while increasing productivity; Implementation of network integration to create a unified IP protocol-based carriage infrastructure; Offer innovative products and services accessible over multiple terminal types (PCs, TV, mobile phones, etc.) via a variety of technologies; Focus on service quality and improved customer care by adopting a multi-channel approach (fixed-line, mobile and Web) to clients. Financial strategy for the period 2005-08 forecasts: Revenue growth: between 3% and 4%; EBIT and EBITDA: stable at 2005 levels; and Overall industrial investment: between 13-14 billion euros, of which around 70% earmarked for innovation and development.