FLOWTELECOMS provider Cable and Wireless Communication (CWC) says it will be rebranding LIME to a refreshed Flow over the next few months.

The announcement was made yesterday by CEO of CWC Phil Bentley, following the merger of CWC and Columbus International. Earlier this year, the communications company acquired 100 per cent of Columbus International for US$3 billion.

“CWC will operate under the corporate banner C&W Communications,” a recently released statement from the company stated. “A refreshed Flow will be the unified consumer-facing brand throughout the Caribbean, replacing the former LIME and Flow businesses.”

The release added that the change will not affect its consumer-facing brands in Panama and The Bahamas.

The Flow brand has been used by Columbus International in several markets throughout the Caribbean, including Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and Grenada. However, in 2008, CWC rebranded its Cable & Wireless operations to LIME, landline, Internet, mobile and entertainment, citing that the business was bearing no resemblance to what it had become.

“This is the beginning of a new and exciting chapter for us,” Bentley stated in reference to the refreshed Flow brand. “Flow, with its bold blue colour, captures the essence of the Caribbean sea and the sky, and is renowned for innovation, technical excellence and great customer service.”

“It’s time to say ‘goodbye’ to our old friend, LIME, as we look forward to defining new levels of customer service and product innovation under the refreshed Flow brand. We will be rebranding our stores, our vehicles and our uniforms to Flow and we plan to ‘paint’ the entire Caribbean blue,” he added. That will bring an end to the monochrome black and white LIME brand.

According to Bentley, over the next few months, customers will be able to experience some of the cutting-edge innovation that CWC plans to bring to the market. He stated that the group will formally launch the new brands on a phased, country by country basis, as “new and exciting” products and services are introduced.

“We are committed to creating a combined group with a new culture of innovation and technical excellence — backed by major investments — putting the customers at the heart of our business,” he continued.

Meanwhile, C&W Networks will be the brand representing the wholesale submarine and terrestrial fibre-optic cables of CWC, and the former Columbus Networks/JVCO business, according to the release.

C&W Business will be the business-facing brand across the group, replacing the former CWC Business Solutions, Columbus Business Solutions and Sonitel brands.

– Karena Bennett