CCID Consulting, China's leading research, consulting and IT
outsourcing service provider, and the first Chinese consulting firm
listed in Hong Kong (Hong Kong Stock Exchange: HK08235), recently
released its article on China's TD terminals, and their sprint
towards commercialized use.
In the TD-SCDMA industry, TD terminals are now directly facing
consumers, as well as directly effecting consumers' feelings
towards 3G. As one of the most important factors in the industry, TD
terminals have dual characters: first, they provide elementary
communications functions; and second, they become a kind of consumer
electronics product that integrates digital cameras, audio players,
video players, network browsers and PDAs. It presents 3G business.
CCID Consulting has therefore paid close attention to the
development of TD terminals and herein reviews China's TD terminal
in 2007Q3.
The Number of Potential Users is Great
By the end of Sep. 2007, the number of China's mobile phone
users reached over 526 million. Currently, the number of China's
high-end mobile phone users has reached 50 million.
MediaTec Inc. Sets Foot in the TD Terminal Industry chain
MediaTec Inc. was actively seeking an opportunity to enter the
TD-SCDMA chip industry, and on Sep. 10, 2007 MediaTec Inc. formally
entered the TD- SCDMA chip market through the acquisition of ADI's
mobile phone chip department.
MediaTec Inc. has a large market share in China's 2G mobile
phone market and it accounts for over 40% of the total market share in
China's baseband chip market. Besides Bird, TCL, Lenovo, KONKA,
Longcheer, SIM and K-Touch, abundant no-brand enterprises enter the
mobile phone industry through adopting MediaTec Inc.'s products.
MediaTec Inc. is not only the biggest mobile phone chip provider in
China, not also the third largest provider in the world. However, most
of its shipments come from China's domestic mobile phone brands.
The international brands such as Nokia, MOTO, Samsung and Sony Ericsson
have not become MediaTec Inc.'s clients. Wireless chips have a
bright future. If MediaTec Inc. wants to steady its position; it needs
to have international clients. Although ADI's mobile phone chip
business is as good as before, it has international partners such as LG
and SHARP. MediaTec Inc.'s acquisition will help itself to develop
international clients.
Although the cooperation between ADI and Datang Telecom on TD-SCDMA
business is not the most important part of the acquisition, it is the
focus in the TD industry. As a result of the acquisition, MediaTec Inc.
plays a very important role in the development of the TD-SCDMA industry.
MediaTec Inc.'s participation could bring positive or negative
affects; however, it cannot control TD's course and whether TD can
gain great benefits. It is worthy to pay attention to whether TD-SCDMA
can change the cooperation mode between MediaTec Inc. and ADI, and
whether it can introduce its used turn-key solutions into the TD-SCDMA
industry at the appropriate time.
China's Domestic Mobile Phone Manufacturers Have Their Own
Advantages in TD Terminal Testing
China Mobile and China Netcom carried through large-scale TD
terminal testing in 2007Q3, and the final result of the testing will
directly affect the purchase shares of manufacturers.
China's domestic mobile phone brands occupied the majority in
this testing, and foreign brands, such as Samsung, played only a small
part. As 3G terminals, R&D for TD-SCDMA mobile phones is more
difficult than for 2G terminals. Therefore, China's domestic brands
are on an equal footing with foreign brands in testing, which also shows
the solid strength of domestic brands. With the approach of the
commercial use of TD, China's domestic manufacturers face
opportunities. China's government supports TD-SCDMA standards and
domestic enterprises keep prior positions in aspects of technological
patents and R&D. The advantages will gradually incarnate with the
maturity of the TD industry. On one hand, domestic manufacturers
won't pay great patents to foreign enterprises and the cost of TD
terminals will decrease; while on the other hand, domestic manufacturers
will receive the support of government policies in the process of TD
industrialization. All of these establish favorable bases for the
domestic manufacturers in the 3G market, and will help break European,
American, Japan and Korean monopolization in the 2G mobile phone market.
Currently, domestic manufacturers occupy definite advantages in the
initial stages of TD commercialization, but just how long the advantages
will last is unclear. The competitiveness of products will be the key
factor. Only through domestic manufacturers insisting on continued
improvement of the competitiveness of TD terminal products and holistic
strength of enterprises, can they maintain their advantages in the face
of competition from foreign magnates.
Testing Manufacturers Prepare for the Dual Mode Terminals
The latest testing result suggests that under the event that TD
networks couldn't rapidly cover the whole nation, dual mode phones
can at least ensure basic communication functions. Therefore, operators
and terminal manufacturers should emphasize particularly on TD/GSM dual
mode mobile phones in new rounds of testing.
CCID Consulting considers that in order to ensure the favorable
communication quality, manufacturers should possess some dual mode
terminals. They can depend on GSM to assure the communication quality
when TD signals are not so good. The dual mode terminal will be the
mainstream during the initial 3G period.
About CCID Consulting
CCID Consulting Co., Ltd. (hereinafter known as "CCID
Consulting" or "CCID"), the first Chinese consulting firm
listed in the Growth Enterprise Market of the Stock Exchange (GEM) of
Hong Kong (stock code: HK08235), is directly affiliated to the China
Center for Information Industry Development (hereinafter known as CCID
Group). Headquartered in Beijing, CCID Consulting has set up branch
offices in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Harbin, with over 300
professional consultants and industry experts. The company's
business covers over 200 large and medium-sized cities in China. Apart
from home market development, CCID Consulting establishes international
cooperation links across the United States, the Asia-Pacific region and
Europe with agents in the U.S., Japan, South Korea, Australia,
Singapore, Italy and Russia, with the aim of going global.
Based on four major competitive areas: powerful data channels,
industrial resources, intense knowledge and a deep understanding of
information technology, CCID Consulting provides customers with
consulting, research and IT outsourcing services covering strategic
planning, IT applications, marketing strategies, human resources and
information technology outsourcing. Customers range from industrial IT
users, telecommunications companies, energy companies, finance
companies, and automobile companies, to government departments at all
levels and diversified industrial parks. CCID Consulting commits itself
to be the number 1 consultant in strategic consulting, the number 1
brand for strategic consultancy, the number 1 advisor for enterprise
management and the number 1 consultant for government decision-making.
For more information, visit http://www.ccidconsulting.com or email
to liuyan@ccidconsulting.com.
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