China-based ZTE aims to become a global top-five handset vendor

China-based ZTE aims to become one of the top-five handset vendors in the global market within five years after shipping about 30 million handsets in 2007, according to sources at the Taiwan handset industry.

The sources, citing data from Gartner, pointed out that ZTE's handset shipments accounted for 1.2% of the global market in the fourth quarter of 2007, ranking as the world's seventh largest handset vendor.

ZTE has projected handset sales will account for 50% of its total revenues by 2012, compared to 20% in 2006 and 25% in 2007, the sources quoted an internal company estimate as saying.

To utilize its cooperation relationships with a number of telecom services providers around the globe, ZTE also plans to launch own-brand smartphones and multi-mode handsets to boost sales, in addition to current entry-level handsets, said the sources, noting that over 70% of the 30 million handsets ZTE shipped in 2007 were distributed by its worldwide telecom partners.

Although there are market rumors stating that ZTE is likely to acquire the handset unit of Motorola, sources in Taiwan said that the possibility of a ZTE-Motorola deal is low due to issues concerning politics and the complementarity of the companies' resources.