ZTE Corporation says that it experienced impressive growth in 2009 in its wireless terminals space. According to iSuppli, ZTE shipped 60 million wireless terminals, including more than 40 million handsets and 20 million data cards in 2009. More than 70% of all ZTE shipments in 2009 were to international markets, in line with the companys aggressive global growth strategy.
In wireless terminals, ZTEs shipment of 60.17 million units represented a 33% growth over 2008. In 2009, ZTE began to break into the three major high-end markets including Europe, N. America and Japan, partnering with the top global operators in the wireless terminal area, including VDF, T-Mobile, Verizon, Telefonica, Orange, H3G, Telenor, TIM and Sprint.
For its handset business, ZTE says it has made great strides in Europe and N. America, shipping more than 40 million units globally in 2009. ZTE has invested heavily in the research and development of Smartphones over the last six years and says it is focused on providing customisable 3G/4G handset solutions that meet the needs of individual carriers. The company is one of the few manufacturers whose Smartphone portfolio encompasses a wide range of operating systems, including Android, Windows Mobile, Linux, OMS and BMP.
ZTEs data card business experienced 200% growth in 2009, with 20 million units shipped. The company has deployed data cards with 240 carrier customers in 106 countries. According to iSuppli, Chinese companies have over 80% share of the global data cards market. ZTE has a 35% share of the global market and a 40% share of the China market.