French-based Suez was formed in 1997 by a merger between Compagnie de Suez and Lyonnaise des Eaux. After the merger, the company’s name became Suez Lyonnaise des Eaux and was subsequently shortened to Suez in 2001. Suez’s water and wastewater business, which is run through its subsidiary Ondeo, is the second largest in the world. Suez provides water-related services to more than 115 million people worldwide. Its other business areas are electricity, natural gas, water and waste management. Suez also maintains interests in television and broadband distribution. In 2001, Suez was ranked 99th on Fortune’s Global 500, and in the same year it was ranked 19th in the world among companies with the greatest international presence, according to the United Nations World Investment Report. In the summer of 2002, Suez merged its water and wastewater services into a division called Suez Environment.