The New York Times Co. said Monday it plans to rename the International Herald Tribune, its 125-year-old newspaper based in Paris, and will unveil a new website for international audiences.

Starting this fall, under the plan, the paper will be rechristened the International New York Times, reflecting the company's intention to focus on its core New York Times newspaper and to build its international presence.

"This recognizes our global reach and is an exciting and logical move," said Jill Abramson, the executive editor of the New York Times.

Mark Thompson, president and chief executive of the New York Times Co., said in a statement that the company recently explored its prospects with international audiences, and noted there was "significant potential to grow the number of New York Times subscribers outside of the United States." He added: "The digital revolution has turned the New York Times from being a great American newspaper to becoming one of the world's best known news providers. We want to exploit that opportunity." A Times Co. spokeswoman would not provide details on how the name change would affect the International Herald Tribune's employees. Half of the staff members who work in Paris are subject to French labor law, while Herald Tribune employees spread throughout the rest of the world are governed by local labor laws.

The masthead of the paper will also change, the spokeswoman said, but she declined to elaborate.

Stephen Dunbar-Johnson, publisher of the International Herald Tribune, said the name change was driven by "extensive research" showing that there was substantial potential, under the new name, to increase the number of international subscribers to the digital editions of the New York Times.

The renamed paper will remain based in Paris, where it was founded 125 years ago as the European edition of the New York Herald, Dunbar-Johnson said. It will also keep its sizable office in Hong Kong, where the Asian edition is edited. Dunbar-Johnson said there also would be investments in other locations. Until the fall it will continue to be published as the International Herald Tribune.

"Everyone at the New York Times thinks fundamentally that for this to be successful, the paper needs to be edited and curated for an international sensibility," Dunbar-Johnson said.

"The core attributes of the International Herald Tribune will be retained and refined."

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