中兴准备发力美国智能手机市场

China's ZTE Corp. plans to ramp up competition in the crowded U.S. smartphone market with higher-end gadgets and closer ties with carriers, aiming to become one of the world's top three smartphone brands.

中国中兴通讯股份有限公司(ZTE Corp.)打算在美国推出更高端的手机，强化同运营商之间的关系，从而增强自己在这一拥挤的智能手机市场的竞争力，成为全球三大智能手机品牌之一。

The telecommunications equipment maker is starting with about a 5% market share in the U.S., a reputation mostly for budget phones, and fierce competition from companies such as Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. But success in the U.S. and China is key to its ambitions, Executive Vice President He Shiyou said in an interview, adding that ZTE hopes the U.S. will leapfrog China to become the company's No. 1 source of smartphone revenue.

这家电信设备生产商的初始条件是：在美国拥有5%左右的市场份额，主要以廉价手机闻名，同时面临着苹果(Apple Inc.)、三星电子(Samsung Electronics Co.)等公司的激烈竞争。但执行副总裁何士友接受采访时说，中兴在美国、中国市场的成败是它实现目标的关键，它希望美国超过中国成为其智能手机业务的第一大收入来源。

'If you don't get these two markets right then you can be eliminated as a player,' said Mr. He, who oversees handsets for the company.

负责中兴手机业务的何士友说，如果这两个市场不行，那么你就有可能出局。

Like rival Huawei TechnologyCo., ZTE is a Chinese company that makes back-end equipment that underpins telecommunications and data networks, but has an eye on increasing its presence in the consumer market. At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas beginning Jan. 8, it is expected to unveil its Grand S, a smartphone running Google Inc.'s Android mobile software. The Grand S carries a five-inch screen and a 13-megapixel camera─an effort by ZTE to move beyond budget phones in the U.S.

和竞争对手华为技术有限公司(Huawei Technology Co.)一样，中兴也是一家生产电信及数据网络后端设备的中国公司，同时它也打算扩大自己在消费市场的份额。1月8日起在拉斯维加斯举办的消费电子产品展(Consumer Electronics Show)上，预计中兴将公布搭载谷歌(Google Inc.)安卓(Android)操作系统的智能手机“Grand S。 Grand S拥有五英寸屏幕和1,300万像素的摄像头──这代表着中兴在美国市场不仅仅要做廉价手机的努力。

'ZTE's popularity is still rather small,' said Ramon Llamas, research manager at technology market researcher IDC, 'but it is making progress.'

科技市场研究机构IDC研究经理拉玛斯(Ramon Llamas)说，中兴的名气仍然相当小，但它正在进步。

In other countries, ZTE may be able to use its status as a major equipment provider to strike deals with carriers, but that route isn't currently possible in the U.S.

在其他国家，中兴或许可以利用自己作为重要设备供应商的地位跟运营商达成交易，但这一方法目前在美国是行不通的。

A U.S. congressional report earlier this year said sales of telecommunications equipment, which doesn't include handsets, by the Chinese company in the U.S. pose a national security threat. ZTE has said the allegations are unfounded.

美国国会今年早些时候的一篇报告说，中兴在美国销售电信设备（不包括手机）构成了国家安全威胁。中兴曾说明这些指控没有根据。

ZTE hopes to become a 'strategic partner' with U.S. operators such as AT&T Inc., Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel Corp. or T-Mobile USA Inc., said Mr. He, who defined such a partnership as having 15% of an operator's handset business. Citing third-party data, an executive with the company's communications department said ZTE's current U.S. market share was around 5%.

何士友说，中兴希望成为美国电报电话公司(AT&T Inc)、Verizon Wireless、Sprint Nextel Corp.或T-Mobile USA Inc.等美国运营商的“战略伙伴。根据何士友的定义，战略伙伴关系指的是拥有运营商15%的手机业务。中兴公关部门一位高管引用第三方数据说，目前中兴在美国市场拥有5%左右的份额。

In the third quarter, the company shipped 7.5 million smartphones world-wide─almost double the amount in the same period last year─putting ZTE in fourth place with a market share of 4.2%, behind Apple, Samsung and Research In Motion Ltd., according to IDC, which cited 'notable progress' in North America for ZTE's performance. In 2013, ZTE expects to increase smartphone revenue by 30%, and increase its market share for smartphones by 50%, Mr. He said.

据IDC说，中兴第三季度全球智能手机出货量达750万台，接近上年同期的两倍，从而以4.2%的市场份额排名第四，排在苹果、三星和Research In Motion Ltd.之后。IDC还说，中兴在北美的表现取得了“明显的进步。何士友说，中兴希望将2013年智能手机收入提高30%，并将智能手机市场份额提高50%。

ZTE anticipates revenue in the U.S. will hit $1 billion in 2012─around 90% of that coming from mobile devices. Overall revenue from the market last year was around $400 million. Currently, around 40% of ZTE's handset revenue comes from China. ZTE didn't disclose specific figures for handset revenues in China, saying only they were 'a little bit higher than double' U.S. handset revenue.

中兴预计2012年美国市场营收达到10亿美元，其中约九成来自移动终端。2011年它在美国市场的总营收约为4亿美元。目前中兴40%左右的手机业务收入来自中国。中兴没有披露中国市场手机业务收入的具体数据，只说是美国市场收入的两倍多一点。

In China, ZTE is hoping to reposition itself in the highly competitive Chinese handset market by launching a separate brand, called Nubia, aimed at high-end users.

在中国，中兴推出以高端用户为目标的独立品牌“Nubia，希望在竞争激烈的中国手机市场实现新的定位。

'Nubia is intended to change people's perception of ZTE as low price,' said Mr. He, adding that he considered the value of the ZTE brand underestimated by Chinese consumers.

何士友说，Nubia旨在改变中兴在人们心目中的廉价印象。他说，他觉得中国消费者低估了中兴的品牌价值。

ZTE wants to expand its retail footprint in China by doubling the number of its 1,500 owned stores over the next two years, said Mr. He.

何士友说，中兴希望在未来两年将1,500家门店增加一倍，从而扩大自己在中国零售市场的足迹。

He likened competition in the smartphone market to a marathon─only without a finishing line. 'All you can do is try to surpass the runner just in front of you,' said Mr. He.

他将智能手机市场的竞争比作一场没有终点的马拉松比赛。何士友说，你能够做的，就是努力超过前面的那个人。