Q-Mobile sets ambitious 2011 target

Local mobile phone maker ABTel has said it plans to overtake Nokia and achieve local market domination this year, the Vietnam News Agency reports.

Nokia, the world’s biggest cellphone maker, now leads the Vietnamese market with a share of between between 48 and 52 percent. ABTel’s brand Q-Mobile accounts for 20 percent, compared to 14 percent in 2009.

In an interview published by the Vietnam News Agency on Saturday, ABTel director Nguyen Quang Minh said he was not satisfied with the current market share.

“Q-Mobile has been the No.1 cellphone company in the mid-price segment. This year we will enter other segments including 3G phones and smartphones,” Minh said, adding that there are plans to roll out cheap products in partnership with Indian companies.

He said his company has inked a deal with Yahoo to launch a new product line focusing on mobile applications.

While ABTel plans to expand its business to Myanmar, where the telecommunications market is still in its first stage of development, the company will continue to focus on the Vietnamese market, Minh said.

“You have to own your home market first if you want to be successful in foreign areas,” he said. “Our goal is to surpass Nokia.”

Answering a question concerning the “Made in China” label found on products sold by Vietnamese phone makers, Minh said where a product is manufactured was not important.

Technology ownership and branding play a more important role, accounting for 80 percent of the product value, he said. – Thanhnien

Tags: Q-Mobile

Posted by VBN on Feb 11 2011. Filed under Telecommunication. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry