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Success Story CONTENTS 03 Building Brand Through Joint Marketing Success Story —An interview with Mr. Cui Yi, regional general manager of ZTE Asia Pacific Handset Show Congratulations ZTE ranked sixth globally with over 30 million handsets shipped in the year 2007. It has established strategic partnerships with top operators such as Vodafone, Hutchison Whampoa, France Telecom, China Mobile, and China Unicom. Where ZTE is having remarkable achievements, a lot of challenges lie ahead, such as how ZTE can achieve further development by capitalizing on the opportunities like global handset industry restructuring and global 3G construction; how to become a mainstream handset provider through successful globalization. Building a brand with customer-oriented approach is a key step in realizing the strategic goal of becoming a mainstream handset supplier while the Mobile World magazine is one of the important means to carry out the brand building. I hope by choosing the right handset information and creating a communication platform for end users, the Mobile World magazine can present ZTE’s latest handset information, share ZTE’s successful experience in the handset field, and explore the future of telecom operation, so that maximum value will be maintained for both operators and end-users through innovation differentiation. on the first issue of Mobile World Since 2007, both the telecommunications and handset industry face the growth opportunities brought by industrial reshuffles. ZTE, as the quickly growing Chinese force, has seen leaping growth. ZTE is moving to the world’s first camp of telecommunication vendors, and in the year 2008 it is embracing new opportunities to overtake others. Executive Director, Executive Vice President of ZTE: April 28th, 2008 06 ZTE U980 TD-SCDMA/EDGE Dual-Mode Dual-Standby Intelligent Handset 07 ZTE E760: Connecting Work and Entertainment News 08 China Mobile Launches 3G Services ZTE U980 Ranks No.1 in Sales Card to the World 09 ZTE MU318 TD-SCDMA USB Wireless Broadband Data Card Design Style 10 Design Flower Lover ZTE Handset Industrial Design Center 11 The Importance of User Interface Design P08 P03 Cui Yi: Regional general Manager of ZTE Asia Pacific, responsible for marketing and sales in the Asia Pacific region. Graduated from Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications with a major in engineering. Served as a general manager of ZTE intelligent services and a deputy director of the Nanjing R&D center. P09 ZTE MU318 TD-SCDMA USB Wireless Broadband Data Card Success Story Great Opportunities in the Emerging Market With a population of 248 million in 2007, Indonesia is the fourth most populous country in P22 Marketing 12 Business Model Analysis of Handset Customization the world. Mr. Cui told me that Indonesia was 14 Innovation, Design, Quick Response, Quality, Customization Celebrity Talks About 3G 3G in the name of fashion one of the fastest growing telecom markets in the ZTE Handsets Facilitate Rapid Growth of Operators Worldwide CONTENTS Asia-Pacific region and the penetration of fixedline telephone and mobile telephone was 6.4% Building Brand Through Joint Marketing and 26.6% respectively by end-2006, which indicated substantial growth potential in this market. In particular, there has been a strong growth in the mobile sector, and the mobile penetration had quickly surpassed fixed-line penetration. The mobile industry is currently operating both GSM and CDMA technologies. In recent years, with the application of CDMA technologies, several new operators have entered the market. Currently, subscribers are growing exponentially, and the competition is becoming fiercer. Quality Control 16 First-Class Labs for First-Class Product Quality —An Overview of ZTE Comprehensive Handset Labs Sponsor: ZTE Corporation Customer Care 18 Joint After-Sales Brand Development 19 Increasing Brand Recognition with Customer Service —ZTE Indonesia Handset After-Sales Service Center User Experience 20 Review of ZTE U980 Leisure Time 21 The Debut of the World’s First CDMA Handset with Detachable SIM Card 22 Celebrity Talks About 3G 3G in the name of fashion Issue 1 2008 Editorial Board: Editors-in-Chief: Gu Yongcheng, Xiong Hui Deputy Editors-in-Chief: Huang Xinming, Wang Yong Editorial Director: Zhao Lili Executive Editor: Liu Yang Editor: Olga Saprykina Circulation Manager: Wang Pingping Editorial Office: Marketing system 11F, R&D Building, ZTE Plaza, Hi-tech Road South, Hi-tech Industrial Park, Shenzhen, P.R. China Postcode: 518057 Tel: +86-755-26776663 Fax: +86-755-26775217 Website:www.zte.com.cn/magazine/English Email: jianxun@zte.com.cn —An interview with Mr. Cui Yi, regional general manager of ZTE Asia Pacific In 2005, ZTE set up its Asia-Pacific regional office at Jakarta. In recent years, ZTE has seen steady development in this region. Especially in Indonesia, the company has established a leading brand presence and captured big market share. Its products are deployed by almost all the operators Zhao Lili including Telkom – the largest operator of the country. As one of Telkom’s major providers, ZTE has almost 3.5 million lines of CDMA I network capacity. Today, ZTE’s total CDMA ndonesia, a country in the southeast of Asia, spans both sides of the equator. Comprising a large network capacity in Indonesia has reached 15 number of islands, Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelagic state. With tropical climate million lines, making the company the key feature supporting a high level of biodiversity, it enjoys the title of “Belt of Emerald across the CDMA provider in the country. Equator”. With the boom of the Indonesian telecom On March 27, 2008, I set foot in Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia. Looking through the sector, ZTE handsets have made strong inroads window of the car on the way from the airport to downtown, I was attracted by the sub-tropical plants into the local market. From 2003, when small and wide lawns on both sides of the road. And the big ZTE handset billboard, standing tall on the quantities of handsets were delivered till 2007, airport highway, not only made me feel extremely proud but also reminded me of the purpose of my ZTE handsets have made their scaled entry into trip here – an interview with Mr. Cui Yi, regional general manager of ZTE Asia Pacific, to learn more the market, making Indonesia one of ZTE’s core about ZTE products, especially the achievements made by ZTE handsets in Indonesia. markets of terminal products. ZTE has maintained I reached the office of Mr. Cui at MIDPLAZA at the appointed time the next day. Inside his good cooperation in the terminal field with many office, there were only a portable computer and several chairs. Right in this simple but tidy office, I Indonesian operators such as Telkom, Telkomsel, started my interview with Mr. Cui. Indosat, Mobile-8, Smart Telecom and STI. Issue 1 2008 Success Story , Mr. Cui explained that ZTE s brand marketing activities in Indonesia mainly evolve around handset sales. Because the handsets are often sold bundled with service packages of local operators in the overseas market, collaborative marketing has become a win-win cooperative mode between operators and vendors. Cultivating the Handset Market December 2007. Since 2005, ZTE has carried out wide cooperation with Mobile-8 in the terminal field including the provision of handsets and data cards. ZTE has supplied it with a total of 1.3 million CDMA handsets. Indonesia is the largest handset market in Southeast Smart Telecom is a new CDMA operator in Indonesia. It is a subsidiary Asia. About 75 million people own mobile phones, and of Sinar Mas Group, which is Indonesia’s third largest Indonesian-Chinese the mobile users have a passion for SMS. The handset conglomerate, its business covering different regions of the country. ZTE The further expansion of ZTE handsets, especially its penetration in Indonesia is lower than that of its neighboring started its cooperation with Smart Telecom in 2006, and it has delivered Smart CDMA handsets, have built ZTE’s brand image among the countries such as Malaysia and Thailand, and the handset Telecom more than 500,000 CDMA handsets by the end of March 2008. It is Indonesian customers. So, what makes ZTE a success in the market still has much room for growth. now the primary strategic partner of Smart Telecom. Indonesian handset market? Mr. Cui explained that ZTE’s brand Joint Marketing Mr. Cui told me that a broad array of terminal products ZTE and Indosat began their cooperation on CDMA systems as early as marketing activities in Indonesia mainly evolve around handset are on the Indonesian market, including CDMA handsets 2003, and in 2007 ZTE began to cooperate with it on 3G data card through its sales. Because the handsets are often sold bundled with service and fixed wireless terminals, GSM handsets, 3G data cards subsidiary company, IM2. To enhance its competitiveness, IM2 sold ZTE 3G packages of local operators in the overseas market, collaborative and 3G monitors. Up till now, the terminals sold in Indonesia HSDPA data card bundled with its own service packages to attract subscribers. marketing has become a win-win cooperative mode between have reached over 2 million with the CDMA terminal market ZTE provided IM2 60,000 data cards (MF620 and MF622) in the second half operators and vendors. share surpassing 20%. of 2007 to enable its quick subscriber expansion. With the rapid growth in the There are currently 11 mobile licensees in Indonesia, which Mobile-8 is a medium-sized CDMA-based cellular number of subscribers, IM2 enhanced the presence of its data services brand. It leads to a fierce competition in the local telecom market. In operator. It launched its services in December 2003 and is estimated that IM2’s subscribers account for 20% of the total 3G subscribers addition to traditional promotion methods such as lower toll and has developed about 3 million subscribers by the end of in Indonesia and most of them are loyal high-ARPU subscribers. free handsets, the operators can realize competitive advantages in function, service and low cost only through collaborating with services providers and handset vendors. Since premium customers have already been acquired by established operators, new mobile operators have to attract new users who are usually at the low end. These new users often seek low price, multi-function and stylish handsets or handsets with a certain function (e.g. online banking users prefer handsets supporting mobile banking services). Therefore, low-cost customized handsets are critical for the new operators to attract new customers. Meanwhile, capitalizing on joint marketing, new operators targeted media publicity, these dual-logo handsets with special functions became can solidify customer’s confidence by utilizing the brand name popular among customers. While there was an exponential increase in subscribers, effects of service providers and handset vendors. Handset ZTE handset sales reached over 1 million. vendors can also expand their influence on the local market During the joint marketing with IM2 of the data cards, ZTE enhanced its brand through low-cost joint brand marketing and strengthen their ties image in Indonesia with the dual-logo products. On the other hand, IM2 expanded with operators, creating win-win situations in the real sense. its brand presence with the growing sales of service packages. With regard to this, there are successful cases, for example, ZTE cultivates the Indonesian market using a strong brand building strategy. ZTE began its comprehensive cooperation with an Indonesian Through joint marketing of handsets, its brand is expanded in Indonesia, and with CDMA operator in early 2007. After analyzing the strength and the brand enhancement ZTE’s market expansion is accelerated. Brand enhancement weakness of the operator, ZTE developed some low-cost handset and market expansion supplement each other, helping ZTE maintain a sustainable models customized for its agricultural, online banking and ultra development in the Indonesian market. low-end subscribers. Through joint investment promotion and Issue 1 2008 Issue 1 2008 Handset Show performance of various functions and enabling you to enjoy the convenience of online chatting. Your Office on the Move ZTE U980 TD-SCDMA/EDGE Mobile office Installed with Window Mobile 6.0 operating system, the phone can be operated like a computer, allowing you to view and edit Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF files. Push mail E-mails are pushed to a handset by a server so that users can view and edit E-mails timely and conveniently. Large capacity storage Large capacity phone book and large SMS storage Dual-Mode Dual-Standby Intelligent Handset capacity, 2G of free additional storage space. Mobile stock exchange With the handset embedded with a stock exchange software, you can view the latest stock rates and make operations. Optimum Entertainment ZTE E760: Innovatively developed Enhanced Video Phone (EVP) technology improves the smoothness and clarity of video calls. The mosaic effect is eliminated in less than 1 second and the connection time is reduced to less than 3 seconds, A camera with 2 million pixels supports photographing and video filming, allowing you to capture the memorable moments in your life. Connecting Work and Entertainment which will enhance user experience. Cooporates with world-leading software developers such as Real, Opera and Sun on the software components of the 3G core value-added services, which enables better performance in 3G applications such as media streaming, Many audio and video file formats such as MP3, AMR, WAV, MIDI, MP4 and H.264 are supported. Stereo effect is also offered for greater enjoyment of music and videos. Up to 2G T-Flash memory card is supported. Various mobile flash playing formats are supported. Easy Access to Abundant Information Internet surfing, and Java-emabled downloads. TD-SCDMA/EDGE dual-mode dual-standby. DCD services With the Dynamic Content Delivery (DCD)- Supports EDGE that enables high-speed data services. based services, you can have sports, entertainment, finance and other Provides more practical functions such as mobile stock exchange and mobile channel information tailored to your needs. office. Mobile newspaper Reading newspapers on the mobile phone, Two cameras allows wider field of view. you will not get printed ink on your hands. Main Functions Personal information Management (PIM): You can have your contact information stored safely in a large capacity server. Your data can be synchronized between the server and the handset. Device Management (DM): Convenient and prompt online updates of software Chatting and Blogging in Harmony Text message/phone call block: Free from unwanted text messages and phone Chatting and blogging Chat (voice chat available) instantly ■ TD-SCDMA/EDGE dual-mode dual-standby intelligent handset Sophisticated Details ■ Unique user interface with your friends via Windows Live Message or mobile IM service ■ 2.8 inch touchscreen, keypad with trackball and metal shell Fetion, and create blogs to share joys with your friends. calls Powerword: Instant translation between English and Chinese Edge-based Internet access With a support for EDGE, the ■ 3G applications such as video phone and media streaming ■ Supports Fetion (IM), Personal Information Management (PIM), phone allows you to surf the Internet at super-fast speed. You can Device Management (DM) and mobile stock exchange chat, blog and view websites in a smooth and easy manner. Chinese PlumSip input The phone featuring next phrase ■ Two cameras with 2 million (autofocus) and 300,000 pixels respectively prediction supports input of phrases and short sentences, simplifying ■ 128-chord MIDI ringtone the text input experience. Dual CPU The phone is equipped with dual CPU with the ■ Audio and video formats such as MP3, MP4 and 3GP ZTE E760 features a mirror-like surface, an appealing frosted shell, handwriting input and trackball navigation. Its powerful information processing capabilities can keep you updated with the latest news and information. ZTE E760 is your perfect partner for a perfect life. frequency of the main CPU reaching 300MHz, ensuring swift ■ Bluetooth 2.0 ■ Java Basic data ■ Powerful business functions: To-do List, schedule, electronic book and Powerword Features Specifications � ■ Dimension:59mm × 111mm × 18mm Issue 1 2008 ■ Weight:About 146g ■ Color:Black GSM/GPRS/EDGE 2.8“/65536-color/ TFT,/touchscreen 110.5mm×59mm×15.5mm 128-chord 145g Camera with 2 mega pixels MP3/MP4 recorder DCD Fetion Push Mail Mobile Flash Editing with Office Word/PDF viewing Large capacity phone book and large SMS storage capacity Mobile Newspaper/DM Up to 2G of storage space with a T-Flash Memory Card Powerword Calendar Alarm Clock Stop Watch To-do List Calculator World Clock Other useful functions Text message/phone call block Mobile Stock Exchange Talk time/standby time: 2-8 hours/200-300 hours Bluetooth PIM Issue 1 2008 Card to the World NEWS China Mobile Launches 3G Services ZTE U980 Ranks No.1 in Sales C Compact Portable Easy Data Access Great Wireless Data Exprience hina Mobile kicked off commercial trials of China’s homegrown standard – TD-SCDMA on April 1st, 2008 in Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Shenyang, Supports TD-SCDMA/GPRS/GSM dual mode switch. Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Xia’men and Qinhuangdao. According USB modem: Compact, lightweight and easy to carry around. to research data from Beijing-based CCIDC Consulting USB hub: Two connection options – direct plug-in or an extension cable to company, 2,000 TD terminals have been sold within ten days, meet different application scenarios. among which, home-made handsets accounted for 60%. ZTE Self-installing and self-starting: Software is installed on PC after the modem captured one third of the market share. Its network card grabbed is plugged in – you don’t have to install the software from the CD. The 52%. Its U980 handset grabbed 26.8% with a sale of 495 sets. installed software runs after the modem is inserted. It is compatible with the Taking the largest share, ZTE U980 won a double championship Windows XP and Windows 2003 operating systems. of sales volume and sales figure. VoPC: Have voice chat with your friends and relatives with the headset As the only TD-SCDMA and EDGE dual-mode dual- inserted into your laptop. standby, full-screen handwriting smart handset, ZTE U980 was popular with consumers. Main Functions It is noticeable that, in Beijing and Shanghai, the first TD handset sold by China Mobile was the ZTE U980. ■ Supports STK/USAT On April 1st, at 9 a.m., Miss Ding, who had been waiting ■ Supports simultaneous sending of voice and text message based on outside China Mobile Guangzhou branch’s outlet for a long the PS domain and CS domain time, became the first person to buy the TD handset. ■ Supports Microsoft digital signatures with a quick software According to Miss Ding, the reason she bought a installation 3G-capable phone so urgently was that the handset, with video ■ The client software supports large-capacity address book, SMS box call function and low fees, allowed her to see and talk to her and phone call records boyfriend in Shenzhen. ■ Supports the “Go with E” software from China Mobile And the reason she chose the ZTE U980 was that, among ■ Supports GSM-and TD-SCDMA-based SMS service and SMS all TD handsets provided by China Mobile, only the ZTE group text messaging U980 was dual-mode dual-standby and hence could support her “Easyown” (China Mobile’s prepaid service brand). With other dual-mode single-standby handsets, consumers couldn’t switch between two modes with two connections operating simultaneously. She spent RMB 3,920 on the handset including RMB 100 for prepaid phone fee. Mr. Wu was the first buyer of TD handset in Beijing. He also chose the ZTE U980 as it provides practical functions and represents style. Meanwhile, he expressed his optimistic view on TD. With over 30 million handsets sold in 2007, ZTE is the According to CCIDC’s report, the ZTE U980 captured world’s sixth largest handset manufacturer and is ranked at the largest market share because the handset is leading both in the top among other Chinese handset manufacturers. Till now, technology and sales. It packs in a wide range of mainstream ZTE has sold over 70 million handsets in over 70 countries 3G applications including high speed Internet access, streaming and regions, and it has established strategic partnerships with download, mobile stock exchange, mobile office, Push Mail, such top operators as Vodafone, Hutchison Whampoa, France mobile TV and two cameras. Telecom, China Mobile, and China Unicom. Issue 1 2008 ZTE MU318 TD-SCDMA USB Wireless Broadband Data Card Product Details � ■ Dimension: 90mm × 35mm × 12mm ■ Weight: 40g ■ Color: White Issue 1 2008 Design Style T he user interface of a handset enables the most direct interaction between software and users. The first impression of users on the software depends on whether it is well or badly designed. A well-designed interface can moment that they should carry out the design activities with such mentality. Flowers can be compared to the products of designers and consumers are actually the lovers of designers. ● Truly love you lover (consumer) ● Get to know what flowers ( product) your lover (consumer) likes ● Carefully cultivate (design) the most beautiful flower (product) for your lover (consumer) ● Listen attentively to the feedbacks of your lover (consumer) to see whether the flower (product) is thorny and allergic guide users through a successful interaction and comfort them while a badlydesigned interface will leave users frustrated. At present, software designers do not pay enough attention to the interface design and even avoid it as it requires artistic accomplishment. Design Six Functional Areas Design Flower Lover ZTE Handset Industrial Design Center E stablished in 1998, ZTE Handset Industrial Design (ID) Center has grown from a small design team to a large design association in China after nine years of development. It established strict design specifications and quality control systems. Capable of designing the whole scheme, it has developed hundreds of handsets for many global operators. Mao Yuting The Structure The ZTE Handset ID Center, based in Shanghai, has a staff of more than 160 designers and engineers. Besides, it has set up six design teams in Nanjing, Xi’an, Shenzhen of China, Europe, North America and India, making it one of the strongest design teams in China. The Concept The design concept of the ZTE Handset ID Center is “presenting flowers to lover”. Flowers symbolize every design work; consumers may be compared to designers’ lovers, and the designers are making every effort to cultivate more attractive “flowers” for every customer. As the largest telecommunications equipment manufacturer, ZTE has made some prominent achievements in industrial design, among which, the ID Studio is worth mentioning. ID Studio The establishment of the ID studio was planned in the early 2006 and completed after one-year of hard work. All the interior design and layout was made by the center’s own designers. The ID studio, on one hand, provides designers with a nice working environment; on the other hand, it forms the crucial part of ZTE’s handset strategies. There are six functional areas in this studio with flowers at its center. Each area is given an innovative name. Presenting Flowers to Lovers As the slogan of the ID studio, “presenting flowers to lover”, the well-known motto of the Italian designer Ettore Sottsass, is written above the doorway to remind designers every Issue 1 2008 Zou Ma An The first functional area is where ZTE displays its designed products. They are placed on the elegant wood shelves. Passing it by is like entering the place for enjoying flowers. Ban Mu Tian This area is where ID designers conduct product design and draft schemes. It is like a flower plot of half a mu and three fen (about 532 square meters), on which flower farmers can cultivate flowers with care. Therefore, it is called “Ban Mu Tian” (land of half a mu). Jiu Se Yuan Color and external effects are the important elements to attract potential consumers. A large amount of palettes and various samples of craft and design materials provide effective support for industrial design activities. They are the source of inspiration in design just like the water and nutrients needed by a flower to open up. The area is therefore named “Jiu Se Yuan” (source of nine colors). Bai Cao Garden Coffee, sofa and books. This is a place where designers can relax and get inspiration. Wu Mi Chu Doing observation without interference, which is necessary for studying focused users can be done here. Compared with the conventional market research, studying directly the focused users with a single-face mirror is a more effective way to attain accurate and objective data. Tan Xiao Jian This is a place where focused users can move around, and it is also able to hold medium-sized meetings and trainings. “Catch up with the future, understand its essence and bring the future into the present”, a saying of the Russian writer Chernyshevsky, interprets perfectly the soul of ZTE’s handset industrial design. Handset, as a kind of industrial product with a long production period, challenges the foresight and acuteness of a designer. And to design products with novel styles, appropriate functions and pleasant colors one year earlier ensures that the future market development is accommodated. The Importance of User Interface Chen Mengdi The handset interface design covers the following aspects: Screen display: Description, placement and size of icons and symbols, and menu style Interface style: Color, effects, layout, font, pictures, and symbols Interaction methods: Consistency in different interfaces, operational efficiency, easy learnability, and user satisfaction. A good interface design should take many particular details into consideration, including: 1.Handsets should have a small display screen, which can’t have too many things on display. Therefore, the design should be simple yet expressive. 2.Since the handsets are mostly operated by thumbs, the interaction between them and their users can’t be too complicated, and the designers can create as many shortcuts as possible. 3.The audio, video and flash formats supported by handsets vary from model to model. So, the designers should select the Meanwhile, handsets as portable devices are destined to be compact and to have smaller screens. The importance of handset interface design becomes more most common formats or use different configurations for different models. prominent when it is required that, all functions can be implemented within such 4.Handsets have varying screen sizes and shapes. Therefore, the compact devices and that users can be satisfied with the combination of interface adaptability of pictures and layout of user interface elements should design and functions. At this stage, operational efficiency, easy learnability and be taken into account. usability should be taken as the ultimate goals of handset interface design. The handset interface design, especially that of the Tier 2 and Tier 3 interfaces, is very critical to a handset. In a word, software is to the handset what human thoughts are to the body. If a handset has to be outstanding, its software has to be outstanding.The operating system, user interface and application programs are all essential elements of the success of a handset. As for the users, an easy-to-use and pleasant interface will entertain and comfort them. Issue 1 2008 Marketing handset manufacturers and public partners. operators to enhance their control in the This type of customization boosts the experience and effectively promotes the services. value chain in varying degrees. Those who brand image of mobile operators. Mobile Meanwhile, bundling customized handsets with service are dominant in the value chain will direct operators usually bear low investment due packages facilitates the service differentiation of the development of the industry towards to their little involvement in the R&D of mobile operators and helps attract more users. It also the path as they wish. Through moderate handsets. But they encounter some tough strengthens mobile operator’s control of the industry and high degree of handset customization, issues like the interoperability of data services chain and allows more interaction with handset mobile operators can integrate the and loss of handset subsidies for end users. manufacturers. resources of handset manufacturers, sales The mode, software and hardware of handsets This type puts low technical requirements on channels and content suppliers to make sold by different mobile operators differ operators, and the alternations to handsets are not the industry chain promote mobile data slightly. Therefore, the handsets can be applied complicated. Hence the cost per customized handset services more effectively and attract new to networks of different mobile operators. will not be much higher than that of an ordinary users. Moreover, the SIM cards can be easily handset model. Improved customer loyalty unlocked, and users can enjoy the services of Currently mobile operators in Europe, America, In the 2G era when handsets and other mobile operators through the customized South Korea and China all adopted the application- services develop independently, the handsets. Some agents even resell products and based customization. handsets carry the brands of manufacturers attain handset subsidies of mobile operators for Overall customization and they can be used across different The overall customization type has the highest operator networks. These have a Mobile operators in Europe including degree of handset customization. Mobile operators detrimental effect on operator’s service Vodafone, Orange, O2 as well as China Mobile establish strict specifications for every aspect of the differentiation and customer loyalty. in China started handset customization with the handset (including charger and headset port) and But in the 3G era, through moderate and brand-based customization. provide manufacturers with specific model numbers to high degrees of handset customization, Application-based (moderate customization) ensure the exclusiveness of manufacturer’s production. operators can gain differential advantages end users. Business Model Analysis of Handset Customization This type of customization enhances user Application-based customization Mobile operators are involved throughout the handset in competition and boost customer loyalty. is the most widely used type of handset production process and the end products have to Increased ARPU customization. Based on the brand-based complete network and service interoperability testing Thanks to the application-based customization, mobile operators nail down conducted by mobile operators. The customized customization and overall customization, handset specifications for menu and shortcut handsets are sold in bundle with service packages of handset terminals and services are I keys, etc. to meet their needs of brand the operators. tied more closely, enabling better Wang Chengke, Guo Xiaoyan, Xu Jun n the 2G era, when the available telecommunication services were building and business development. They All the three customization types mentioned above and quicker services for customers. simple (voice and SMS), handsets were more like an independent set down not only handset specifications have an increasing degree of intensity, indicating Moreover, operators can unify the service consumer electronic product. Operators were concentrated on the but also specific requirements for the R&D an increasingly closer relation between handset and interface and user experience through network coverage while consumers focused on the external appearance, and production of handsets. The customized services with a deeper understanding of customer handset customization, solving the un- quality, and functions of handsets. The integration of handsets and networks handsets will have to pass mobile operator’s needs. Operators will exert different effects on the interoperability between terminals from was given little concern. network and service interoperability testing. industry chain with different degrees of customization. different vendors, boosting services and The advent of 3G brings about advanced technologies and rich Operators adopt this mode to promote At present, the non-voice value-added services are improving ARPU for data services. services, and in a deeper sense, a shift in the industrial structure and the mobile data services. They have their increasing and consumers use mobile data services Easier to implement subsidy policies rules. Correspondingly, the degree of handset customization is also Types of Customization network setup and web links embedded in more frequently. The new changes of customer needs Application-based customization and affected during the centralized purchase process of operators. The bulk Brand-based (basic customization) the customized handsets, or common value- call for operators to participate in the handset design overall customization make it easier for purchase of international operators is usually implemented through This is the most basic type of customization. Operators will only stipulate added services embedded in shortcut keys. and manufacturing process as well as to integrate operators to implement subsidy policies. varying degrees of handset customization, that is, handset vendors would specifications for handset logo, user manual, packaging, and promotion. The This type of handset often comes bundled various resources to produce a combination of handsets Operators can bundle customized handsets meet operator’s requirements in logo, user interface, functions, application Research and Development (R&D), as well as the production schemes of the with a favorable data package. and services that suits user’s needs. with their services. In this way, operators software and hardware to produce devices that carry the operator brand, customized handsets, are usually determined by the manufacturers themselves With regard to sales channels, mobile or use some embedded applications, or even OEM/ODM handsets. The based on their understanding of the market. The handsets can connect to operators will be engaged in bundled sales networks once they conform to applicable international testing standards and of handsets and services through their of customization and different relationships among manufacturers, mobile pass the evaluation of mobile operators (plus a third party in China). Operators Advantages of Customized Handsets and attract users but also prevent users handset customization falls into several categories according to the level own channels, as well as those of handset Enhanced operator’s control in value chain other service packages or other operator operators, and sales channels. can sell the customized handsets through their own channels, or those of manufacturers and public partners. Issue 1 2008 can not only gain services differentiation All the handset customization types can facilitate from applying the subsidized handsets to networks. Issue 1 2008 Marketing Globally recognized quality – Vodafone touchpad and key sensing technologies. Without any keys on the front panel, this phone is characterized by smooth configuration and simplified outlines. A s mobile data services Vodafone has strict demands on the handset appearance, functions, parameters, quality and shell materials. ZTE made research according become more diverse Quick Response and widespread, the to the custom requirements of Vodafone and N7100 coming to Italy by Christmas developed two practical and cost-effective handset mobile phone operators begin to Italy was the first country to make mobile TV commercially available via DVB-H. And TIM, models, VDF125 and VDF225. These two models involve themselves in customized Italy’s largest mobile operator, took the lead in rolling out Mobile TV services. Upon the operator’s are sold by Vodafone worldwide and are able to handset sales. They reorganize requirement, ZTE developed its first DVB-H phone, N7100. The N7100 went on distribution after support 34 different languages. ZTE delivered a the industrial value chain, and passing the tests held by operators in early December 2006. total of 6 million handsets of the two models in realize its own competitive The ZTE N7100 came just in time for Christmas which helped TIM snatch mobile TV market advantages through controlling at the first opportunity. It is worth mentioning that it took ZTE only four months to finish its the industrial chain. Based on research of the Electronic Service Guide (ESG) for DVB-H, equivalent to two years’ research work its in - depth understanding of by ESG professionals; and three months to complete the integration of Conditional Access (CA) industry trend and the needs of solution, three months ahead of the date expected by the client. operators, ZTE fully caters to the centralized bulk purchasing needs of operators with its advantages such as innovation, design, quick response, and premium quality. Z T E H a n d s e t s Fa c i l i t a t e Rapid Growth of Operators Worldwide Wang Chengke, Guo Xiaoyan, Xu Jun only half a year and the cumulative failure rate is only 0.3%. Customization ZTE focuses on the operator market and is Efficient and productive in India capable to provide operators with handsets with The Indian handset market has seen rapid growth in recent years. Reliance, ZTE’s cooperative varying degrees of customization. It supports partner, was eager to expand its share of the market. After frequent discussion with Reliance, ZTE basic customization in logos and user interface got a detailed analysis of the specific needs of users in the Indian market. In a short period, ZTE (UI) to deep customization in external appearance, developed a full portfolio of handsets, helping Reliance quickly capture the Indian market. software, functional parameters and components. From November 2006 to April 2007, ZTE has delivered up to 5.82 million Classic series It also supports large-scale commercialization of handsets to Reliance. During this period, Reliance sold a record 1 million Classic handsets in India customized handsets and can provide complete in a span of just one week. after-sale services. Quality Assurance countries, mobile penetration is low and the In the economically underdeveloped Breakthrough in Europe market potential is huge. Users in these regions navigation and positioning benefit greatly from HSUPA’s H3G is the largest 3G operator in the world. By the end of June 2007, H3G Italy owned half of demand handsets with practical functions , and The debut of CDMA handset with detachable SIM card enhanced uplink speeds. MF365 was sold in volumes to Italian the 3G subscribers of the Hutchison Whampoa Group. H3G has put strict requirements on handset are price conscious. After several discussions with As early as in 2002, when China Unicom launched its CDMA network, ZTE made operator Telecom Italia Mobile (TIM). quality and external appearance, and is renowned for its scrupulous product testing, rigorous Vodafone, ZTE selected Infineon’s platform as the management, and stringent systems. The manufacturers can only be included in its shortlist by basis of phones targeting emerging markets and completing not only the severe industrial tests such as CE, GCF and ROHS but also several rounds finally developed low cost, high quality handsets of service tests organized by the operator. supporting both color and black-and-white Innovation the world’s first handset with detachable SIM card – ZTE 802. Unlike GSM handsets, CDMA terminals in most parts of the world don’t have detachable cards. In order to support its expansion of the CDMA market, China Unicom applied the detachable SIM card technology to its CDMA network. Design Red Dot Design Award, with over 50 years of history, ranks among the most renowned industrial design competitions In addition to meeting all the customization demands of H3G, ZTE completed several rounds screens. Made for China Unicom, ZTE 802 set the trend of placing detachable cards in in the world. The two handset models of ZTE D90 and S900 of strict tests held by H3G in only four months, providing the operator with high performance Out of 100 Industrial Design (ID) options, CDMA handsets. ZTE has then created over 10 customized handset models for China mobile phones won the prestigious “Red Dot Product Design WCDMA/GSM dual-mode handset, the MD2. The handset is flexible enough to fill the operator’s two ID designs well accepted by users were Unicom, helping it develop a large subscriber base. Award” out of 43 entries. This marks the first time that a requirements of product optimization along with software and hardware alteration. selected. The software was custom designed The successful launch of MF365 in Italy Chinese mobile phone manufacturer has been awarded the ZTE launched the world’s fastest HSUPA data card MF365 supporting a wireless honor. uplink transmission rate of 2.0Mbps and a wireless downlink of 7.2Mbps at 3GSM World Congress Barcelona 2007. Studies show that the uplink data volume will grow together with the traffic volume increase in the downlink. Operators are required to provide higher uplink bandwidth to meet customer demand for rich services including picture/data uploads, mobile blogging, mobile online gaming, and music. In such background, ZTE developed the world’s fastest 3G data card at that time – ZTE MF365. Such applications as sending E-mails, files upload, network gaming, video, GPS 016 Issue 1 2008 China-made to meet specific needs, and the user interface In 2005, when China-made handsets first entered the overseas markets, ZTE F866, China’s was optimized to meet the consumption habits Today’s distinction follows ZTE’s reception last year of first independently developed 3G handset, has made a successful entry into the international market, of different countries. The handsets support 34 the prestigious iF Award for its Snow Lava, GamSIR, and starting the company’s overseas brand building process of transforming from “Made in China” to different languages and were custom designed King handsets. The S900 was also the top winner of the “iF “Created in China”. in alarm clock and the amounts of storable text China Award” in 2006, making it a two-time title winner. D90 blends perfectly the Fastap keypad technology, supplementary software, and hot keys. Also recognized for its innovative design, the awardwinning S900 uses an extremely simple design that employs Thanks to its mature technologies and good industrial designs, ZTE F866 passed the stringent messages. Packaging and user manuals also get tests of H3G, and ZTE was named a preferred global handset supplier. F866 is the first WCDMA a custom look. Finally, handsets with custom handset offering high price/performance ratio with a rotating camera, streaming and video call designed software, hardware, UI and packages functions. ZTE won the contract to supply 300,000 WCDMA handsets to H3G in UK and the back were developed to meet the habits of users in these repair rate is only 2%. countries. Issue 1 2008 Quality Control The EMC lab, scheduled to be completed by the end of 2008, is a 3m fully anechoic chamber for EMC testing. The lab can perform radiated emission and stray testing, changing the situation of relying on the lab of a third party for EMC testing. ZTE plans to build up an EMI testing system at Phase I and an EMS testing system at Phase II. The environment lab can implement high temperature, low temperature, high temperature and humidity and salt spray tests, etc, simulating tough conditions to validate the performance of a handset, which will enable ZTE handsets to 王丽娟 work normally under all weather conditions. Environment lab The structure lab can complete various tests related to handset structure and life including dropping, vibration, pressing keys, plugging and unplugging the charger. All Wang Lijuan the operations performed by a user are within the scope of First-Class Labs for First-Class Product Quality of experienced engineers and strict process guarantee the the lab’s scrupulous tests. Complete equipment, presence excellent structure and performance of ZTE handsets. The audio frequency and effects lab can implement all kinds of radio frequency tests. The audio effects lab can simulate the speaking environment where the audio frequency components will be evaluated by the sound effects of selected ring tones. Structure lab The anechoic chamber is used to test the objective indicators of audio frequency. ZTE owns the Advanced Communication Quality Analysis(ACQUA)system The component lab is used for testing handset from HEAD Acoustics based in Germany. This system has been selected by labs of components. Though many components are bought outside, the Ministry of Information Industry for electroacoustic testing. ZTE still conducts tests on them including battery and camera The OTA and RF lab can conduct frequency indicator testing including the H andsets before reaching the end users have to pass through a series of tests radiated power and receiver sensitivity. Meanwhile, the RF indicators can be tested including software, hardware, reliability, and field performance tests. This during a phone call or data transmission, simulating the condition when a handset process requires the involvement of experienced engineers, complete test is near to the head of a user, which helps evaluate the use of handsets in realistic equipment and systematic testing methods. As its business development puts a huge scenarios. There are currently two sets of test systems and they are under full load demand for lab services, ZTE invested heavily to establish modern handset labs with everyday. ZTE handsets delivered to Chinese and overseas customers have to the aim of improving the handset quality. conduct this test repeatedly to ensure their best RF performance. The OTA lab is At present, ZTE has set up comprehensive handset labs in Shanghai, Shenzhen, authorized by Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association (CTIA). testing to ensure quality products supply. Component lab All the ZTE handset labs adopt unified decoration style, installing conductive flooring and transparent glass walls and using Nanjing and Xi’an, which can complete all test items of a product from its early-stage conductive tables. The Shanghai handset lab has now been almost R&D to its later-stage validation. built up and will apply for accreditation of CNAS upon completion. ZTE handset labs cover a total area of over 1,300 square meters, some of which The Xi’an handset lab is proceeding with the construction of the are certified by China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment audio effects and OTA labs. (CNAS). The labs comprise Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC), structure and The ZTE handset labs coordinate closely with the R&D while life, audio frequency, user simulation, environment, radio frequency, baseband and keeping a close track of production. They perform strict tests on OTA test labs, capable of meeting the testing requirements of products with different frequency bands. Issue 1 2008 Tidy glass-walled labs OTA lab every handset, guaranteeing the premium quality of handsets while protecting the benefits of customers. Issue 1 2008 Customer Care ● Quick response technical support team ● Technical support system with wide service coverage ● Efficient logistics ● Intelligent after-sales service management system – Electronic Commerce Cooperation (ECC) and intermediate technical trainings for platform all the repair centers, and selects some ● First-class call centers talents from the centers to take part in the “ZTE Advanced Handset Repair Training Meeting Customer’s Service Demands With regards to special problems, which Unicom Vsens are especially concerned about, Joint After-Sales Brand Development Hu Tao,Li Mingrong Z TE, the earliest vendor involved in the handset customization and procurement of Unicom Vsens (a subsidiary of China Unicom) has maintained a close cooperative relationship with it. In early 2007, ZTE and Unicom Vsens signed the Agreement on Assessment of After-sales Service of Vendors , formally taking part in the appraisal conducted by Unicom Vsens on shortlisted handset vendors. Through a wide range of cooperation with ZTE, Unicom Vsens improves its handset after-sales service level and customer satisfaction, facilitating its market expansion; while ZTE's handset after- sales services gain remarkable progress. Honors With the service goals of “professional, such as replacement of handsets, long repair standard and fast”, ZTE continues to time, and quality complaints, ZTE has stepped improve the provision, management, up its supervision of key indexes including the policies and core competitiveness of its compliance rate of handset replacement/repair, handset after-sales services, which has acceptance rates of ordered spare parts and gained recognition from Unicom Vsens. refurnished handsets, and skills of receptionists in all offices. From 2007, when ZTE began to participate in the assessment of Unicom The intelligent after-sales management system Vsens, till now, the overall evaluation realizes the intelligent management of business, results and each index of ZTE’s after-sales logistics, repair, security, data monitoring and services quality have kept the No.1 place communication via the Internet, which ensures among all the sourcing manufacturers of swift settlement of core problems in after-sales Unicom Vsens. At the CDMA Industry services like repair network coverage, authorization Summit 2007, held by China Unicom at of handset after-sales service centers, quantity of the end of 2007, ZTE became the only spare handsets and parts, repair time and quality. manufacturer wining the “2007 Best ZTE’s handset after-sales logistics has reached a high level in the industry in terms of time in CDMA Handset After-sales Service Award”. efficiency and coverage. Its current logistics service covers 260 cities across the whole country. The logistics cycle time has been reduced from more than 20 days for internal processing down to 5-7 days for internal processing, return and delivery After-Sales Service Channels Courses”. Jointly Building Premium Ser vice Brand Guided by the concept of “exchange of goods. The highly efficient logistics system and cooperation, win-win development provides strong guarantee for customer satisfaction. for a better future”, ZTE strengthens has established over 700 CDMA terminal after-sales repair centers, more than 1,000 repair contact ZTE regards strengthening continually the the cooperation with the operator while offices in China and 27 customer service centers. The customer centers provide service management level of user satisfaction as the focal point of its beefing up its handset after-sales services and training programs to the terminal after-sales repair centers and handle after-sales problems and handset after-sales service. It is taken as a key in an increasingly competitive market. It customer’s feedback in a timely manner. indicator for appraisal. Each customer center will exchanges ideas with the operator, jointly ZTE attaches great importance to the handset after-sales channel development. Up till now, it While coordinating with Unicom Vsen to carry out its after-sales plan, ZTE advances the organize a broad range of trainings for the after- boosting CDMA handset after-sales services capabilities and service levels of its repair centers. With a series of integration and optimization sales personnel from Unicom Vsens and ZTE. The and developing a brand of premium after- measures, ZTE’s handset after-sales system has established: handset after-sales system provides elementary sales services. Issue 1 2008 Increasing Brand Recognition with Customer Service —— ZTE Indonesia Handset AfterSales Service Center zhao Lili O n March 30th, 2008 I went to ITC Roxy Mas in Indonesia's capital Jakarta. I was impressed by the vitality of the Indonesian mobile market as well as the fierce competition between handset manufacturers. Perhaps because it was Sunday, ITC Roxy Mas was crowded with shoppers. A wide variety of handsets filled your eyes and handset ads were also competing for your attention. ITC Roxy Mas is the biggest cell phone center in Jakarta and in Indonesia. It houses many internationally known brands including Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, LG, and Motorola. Three Chinese manufacturers including ZTE, Haier and K-Touch sell their products in this mall too. They have also set up their handset after-sales centers at the fourth floor. ZTE’s handset after-sales service center covers an area of 15 square meters and is decorated in blue and white, which produces a nice first impression. Coming from the third floor teeming with people to the fourth floor, you see the front of the center that is of the refreshing ocean blue color. I happened to meet Mr. ADI, technical supervisor of ZTE handset aftersales service agent, and had a brief interview with him with regard to ZTE’s brand presence in Jakarta. Mr. ADI told me that more than half of the consumers in Jakarta are aware of the ZTE brand. He further explained that ZTE builds up its brand presence through joint marketing with the Indonesian operators, and through their large-scale publicity campaigns, many consumers get to know about the ZTE brand. He noted that the other two Chinese handset manufacturers at ITC Roxy Mas – Haier and K-Touch – actually provide more handset models than ZTE but are still less recognized among Indonesian consumers. It was totally out of my expectation that ZTE handset, which made its entry into the Indonesian market two years ago, enjoys such high brand recognition. I left ITC Roxy Mas with pride and happiness. Issue 1 2008 Leisure Time User Experience Review of ZTE U980 Ni Feifei Z TE U980 is the first dual-mode dual-standby intelligent handset in the is excellent. What is most industry, supporting both TD-SCDMA and EDGE. The device has amazing is that the handset can typical TD-SCDMA 3G functions including video phone, Internet access, switch between two cameras downloading, mobile stock and EDGE capability, supporting high-speed worldwide during a video call. This roaming. It is a high-end TD-SCDMA handset with excellent performance. function allows the other party The U980 mainly targets business people with its ultra thin shell and compact to see my facial expression shape. The handset is 18mm thick and weights about 146g. It uses simple classical as well as my surroundings design, silver and black color scheme. when the handset switches to I tried out the U980 out of my curiosity about TD networks and the handset. Shanghai, Beijing and Xi ’ an, and completed basic testing on Hutchison Whampoa’s CDMA network and SK Telecom’s mobile network. another camera. My overall impression is that it has a nice feel in the hand, powerful functions and stable performance. Below are some of its highlights: Camera Video Playback The videos are initially The U980 is equipped with two cameras – a front-sided CMOS camera played in a non-full screen with 300,000 pixels and a back-sided main camera with two mega pixels. The mode. With a touch of auto focus function of the back-sided camera can impress users although its the screen, the videos will pixel configuration is ordinary. switch to a full screen mode, The U980 with its big 2.8-inch screen provides users with wide fields for avoiding trivial operations. photographing. After pressing the camera key, the auto focus feature allows a What is really great is that the user to capture a clear image, which is quite appealing for lovers of easy-to- real player installed on U980 use cell phone cameras. supports a variety of streaming I’m very satisfied with the image quality of U980: bright and true-to-life. video formats (e.g. RM and And for nighttime photographing, it offers sufficient brightness compensation RMVB). I can watch video to prevent dark and blurred photos. online or video clips uploaded Of course, don’t forget to share your photos with your family and friends. from PC to the handset With the support of the TD network, the U980 can transfer large files, which and don’t have to worry enables you to share your pictures at the first opportunity via MMS, E-mail or about the incompatibility Bluetooth. of video formats, which brings me greater leisure and Video Chat entertainment. The U980 uses the Enhanced Video Phone (EVP) technology to improve quality In addition, the U980 of video. Meanwhile, it uses state-of-the-art technology to reduce the connection is pre-installed with a time, which provides users with better experience. Powerword dictionary, The handset enables me to do video chat on the move. I can conduct video chat which can help me deal with with my family members anytime anywhere. The video images are smooth in both language difficulties in any static and moving backgrounds and the synchronization between audio and video place. Issue 1 2008 The Debut of the World’s First CDMA Handset with Detachable SIM Card Z TE launched its independently developed CDMA handset with detachable SIM card – the ZTE 802 in Beijing on October 16, 2000, making ZTE the first manufacturer in the world applying the detachable SIM card technology as well as a manufacturer capable of providing a full range of CDMA solutions. To make SIM card detachable from the CDMA handset, ZTE established a research group made up by senior engineers from South Korea and China. After thoroughly studying the related standards, the group commenced development of this function in January 2000, completed the hardware design, and put through phone calls on the CDMA communication system in March 2000. To ensure standards compliance and compatibility of CDMA SIM card with handsets, ZTE carried out a wide range of exchanges with the CDMA SIM card manufacturer Gemplus. In addition to that, ZTE developed and designed a complete software package from user interface to bottom layer code. In June 2000, ZTE conducted the first testing. Following that, ZTE 802 had successfully performed communication testing on the Great Wall network (CDMA network) in several Chinese cities like The CDMA handset with detachable SIM card provides safer as well as more convenient and flexible experience to users, allowing them to enjoy new intelligent services such as cash management, mobile banking, and prepaid mobile service. With the function of separating SIM card from CDMA handset, mobile terminal products were becoming more widespread and personalized while the competitiveness of Chinese handset manufacturers was greatly enhanced. This advanced technology serves as prelude to the third generation mobile telecommunication network (IMT-2000). The ZTE 802 made breakthrough in the next generation technology bottleneck ahead of time, which ensured the sustainable development of ZTE ’ s CDMA technologies and effectively protected the interests of operators and subscribers. In particular, ZTE 802, the world’s first CDMA handset with detachable SIM card, was made for China Unicom, enabling China Unicom to set the trend of detachable CDMA handsets. Since its release of ZTE 802, more and more CDMA handset manufacturers joined the trend of providing CDMA handsets with detachable SIM cards. China Unicom is the second largest mobile operator in China. From the first detachable CDMA handset, ZTE has launched more than 10 customized models for China Unicom, helping the operator develop a large subscriber base. Issue 1 2008 Leisure Time A s the Beijing Olympic Games draws near, 3G is put in the limelight. It is more than the third-generation of mobile phone technology. Its high exposure rate pushes it to the cutting-edge of fashion – more and more young people begin to show interest in its development and application. ZTE, as one of China’s 3G leaders, while focusing on the latest technology trends, pays great attention to the requirements of young consumers. So ZTE, the Mobile Information (MI) magazine and a fashionable star discuss today’s topic – trendy viewpoints on 3G. MI: The Beijing Olympic Games are surely the focus of 2008, and for the third time, you become an Olympic torch bearer, right? How do you feel about this? Tian Liang: Yeah, the third time. And it is not only a great honor for me but it also shows society recognition. I will not take part in any competition this year, but being a torch bearer also makes me feel greatly proud and honored. Celebrity Talks About 3G 3G in the name of fashion Source: Issue 4/2008/Mobile information MI: As a public figure, what impacts, do you think, the Olympic Games will have on China? Tian Liang: (Laughs) This is a professional question and should be answered by professionals. I can only talk about my own opinions. Some economists think the Beijing Olympic Games will not exert much impact on the economy in terms of the economic aggregate and hence we don’t have to worry about the so called post-Olympic effect. Since the Olympics don’t push us, what effects they can have on us? These views are not entirely correct. Maybe the Olympics themselves do not bring any effect, but we have to see the effects after the Olympics. For example, the concept of “Green Olympics” helps increase the afforestation rate for Beijing, and even set the afforestation trend in the country. It is obvious that the “Green Olympics” can solve our environment problem. Let’s take another example. The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games promised to provide 3G services during the Olympics, and the home-grown 3G standard is given a development opportunity. With the strong support of the government and the great majority of telecommunications vendors, 3G has become a familiar term in recent years. things. But I am not a professional after all, and I only know that 3G is the third generation mobile technology, which I can use to process images, play music, and make video phone calls. Besides this, I know little about 3G. MI: 3G is the third generation mobile technology. And when it comes to China, it refers to TD-SCDMA. To be accurate, it is not simply a technology applied to mobile phones. Its biggest advantage is that it provides high-speed network. Do you think high-speed network has any effect on your work? Tian Liang: It surely does. If the network speed is slow, my time will be wasted and my mood will get annoyed. High-speed network saves times, increases efficiency and also puts me in a happy mood. Is high-speed network the 3G application offered to the Beijing Olympics? Tian Liang, the cover figure of the MI Olympic special issue , is also a Beijing 2008 Olympic torch bearer. With his sunny smiles, he used to be China's prince of diving. Now he keeps a balance between career and study, and he also enjoys his personal life with his wife and family. For the Beijing Olympics and 3G topics, he has his own views. MI: It seems that you know 3G. very well, do you know any Olympics 3G applications ? Tian Liang: Perhaps it is because boys are instinctively interested in those Issue 1 2008 Leisure Time MI: Yeah, 3G is essentially high-speed network and there is a wide range of applications that 3G network can provide. For example, 3G mobile TV enables you to watch the Olympics even when you are in a bus; you can enjoy the convenience of anywhere, anytime high-speed Internet access; with the 3G GPS function, drivers, groups and travelers can find the addresses of their hotels, and in case of any emergency, the Chinese volunteers can adjust their services via this system. 3G network can provide far more services than what we mentioned. Tian Liang: Is ZTE U980 I’m using today a 3G phone? I notice it is equipped with a front camera. Is it for making video calls? MI: (Laughs) You are very smart. ZTE U980 is a 3G phone and it provides good video call quality by using the Enhanced Video Phone technology that solves the problems such as delay, smear and mosaic. Besides, the 3G phone supports functions like access to latest news, mobile stock, mobile office and GPS, providing you recreation and entertainment. Tian Liang: Oh, it seems that the domestic manufacturers are becoming more and more excellent, exceeding my expectation. My impression is, 3G is an advanced technology, and, to be frank, mobile phones and services provided by the domestic manufacturers are not comparable with those from their counterparts in other countries. 3G is a brand new thing and for the domestic manufacturers, it provides them with an opportunity to surpass their foreign competitors. MI: As you said just now, 3G is new to us, and can we say it’s something fashionable? How do you like 3G functions like video telephony? Tian Liang: Fashion is something hard to explain. Literally, it means popular trends. Everyone has his own opinion. I think fashion should, at first, be suitable for me. I have my own style, and can add some fashion elements to it. But I will definitely not follow the trend blindly. Trying out 3G is really something very fashionable because it absolutely leads the trend. It is the fashion in the science and technology industry. The application of 3G technology will make people’s life more convenient. Video telephony makes smooth life-like communication possible, reducing the distance between people. MI: Will 3G become a trend? Tian Liang: Of course it will. Because it’s also a fashionable thing, and people are always curious about novel things. Moreover, 3G applications are really interesting. I think we should thank the Beijing Olympic Games for bringing us the opportunity to use 3G and also manufacturers like ZTE for making investments on 3G and developing useful 3G products for consumers. MI: The Beijing Olympic Games do make great contribution to 3G, bringing many changes to our life. But what an individual or an ordinary Chinese citizen can do for the Beijing Olympic Games? Tian Liang: We should start with ourselves by doing things like taking care of the environment and not throwing fruit peels. Protecting every bush and tree to create a green environment, using polite language, showing tolerance to other people, helping and loving each other are simple and practical things we can do. MI: You have any wishes for the Beijing Olympic Games? Tian Liang: I wish the Beijing Olympic Games a great success and hope the Chinese teams can achieve good results! ZTE Handset History Firsts The first commercially available TD-SCDMA handset ZTE U310 is the world’s first TD-SCDMA handset, and the first TD-SCDMA handset to win the network access permit. The first TD-SCDMA/GSM dual-mode dual-standby handset ZTE U350 is the world’s first TD-SCDMA/GSM dual-mode dual-standby handset, and the first TD-SCDMA/GSM handset to win the network access permit. ZTE has dozens of dual-mode terminal patents. The first HSDPA PTT handset In early 2007, ZTE announced the world’s first HSDPA handset with push-to-talk (PTT) function, the F159. It also launched the world’s first HSUPA data card which supports HSUPA uplink speed up to 2Mbps and HSDPA downlink 7.2Mbps. The first TD-SCDMA/EDGE dual-mode dual-standby intelligent handset At the 3G pioneering experience campaign in Beijing on October 17, 2007, ZTE launched the world’s first dualmode dual-standby intelligent handset supporting both TD-SCDMA and EDGE, the U980. Issue 1 2008 The first commercial order for 3.6Mbps HSDPA data card ZTE released the world’s first HSDPA data card with a downlink rate of 3.6Mbps, the MF330 in 2006. In August 2006, ZTE won the world’s first big order from Europe for its 3.6Mbps HSDPA data cards. Red Dot Design Award ZTE was awarded the prestigious “Red Dot Product Design Award” for ZTE D90 and S900 mobile phones in 2007. We can take you higher HANDSET Best handset partner, best performance. We can take you higher, simply by providing the best communications tools available. For an athlete, the most important thing is their teammate. In business, the most important thing is your partner. ZTE works with the top global operators, and sold more than 70 million handsets in over 70 different countries. ZTE supplied high performance, customized handsets to Vodafone, fulfilling their strict requirements for design, features, parameter, quality and materials. According to Vodafone’s specific requirements, ZTE’s industry-leading research and development group carefully created and tested the product.Today, two tailor-made models are sold all over the world through Vodafone. A total of 6 million handsets that support 34 languages were delivered in half a year.