O2 (Ireland) BT Group and 1 mm02 share for each British Telecommunications share they held. After the de-merger, most of mmO2's operations, including Digifone, were rebranded O2. mmO2 plc later became O2 plc and remained an independent company until 2005. On 31 October 2005 it was announced that Telefónica, S.A., the Spanish telecommunications company, had made a recommended takeover bid for O Ireland's parent company, O2 plc. This was then approved by shareholders and O was officially purchased in mid February 2006. The O2 brand is now used in several countries for Telefónica's mobile operations outside Spain and Latin America, where Telefónica
O2 Money to recognise "customer service, excellence and innovation" in the UK and Irish payment industry, O2 won the Best New Prepaid Card Product of the Year and Best Prepaid Card Marketing Campaign of the Year awards, receiving judges were particularly impressed with the concept of the card. O2 Money was critically praised at the event, particularly in regard to the high profile, customer-centric campaign used to promote the service for "[blowing] away the cobwebs surrounding payment cards and [lifting] the stigma of prepaid as a product for low-income consumers." Additionally, the judges at the event were thankful to O2 for helping